CULTURE

A 51-Foot Replica of the Statue of Liberty Lives in Milkwaukie

Lady Liberty was installed in 2003 by an Iranian immigrant who owns one-quarter of the surrounding property.

By Rachel Saslow
Scaled Replica of the Statue of Liberty (Rachel Saslow)

Diners enjoying a glass of wine on the back deck at Arrivederci Wine & Jazz on Southeast McLoughlin Boulevard in Milwaukie might be surprised to see Lady Liberty herself showing up to happy hour. That’s because a scaled replica of the Statue of Liberty—51 feet tall—stands in the parking lot. It’s the vision of Chris Sanaee, an immigrant from Iran who owns one-quarter of the properties surrounding the statue. He installed it in 2003 because he “felt like things were falling apart in the country” in the aftermath of 9/11.

“Let’s have something [on] the property to bring people together and remind them what they have,” Sanaee says. “Those are the good thoughts I had about this country those years. I’m not quite like that anymore.”

The statue caught fire during installation, the result of a welding error. After ordering and erecting a new one, it now serves as a reminder of American ideals now under threat with President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

“My deep-down feeling is the same, but a lot has changed in the last 20 years,” Sanaee says.

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Rachel Saslow

Rachel Saslow

Rachel Saslow is an arts and culture reporter. Before joining WW, she wrote the Arts Beat column for The Washington Post. She is always down for karaoke night.

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