UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio — No, it doesn’t stand proud and tall in New York Harbor welcoming “huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” but rather in a University Heights front lawn.
That is, until this week’s expected thaw comes and reduces it to just more wet grass.
The “it” referred to in the above paragraphs is a Statue of Liberty replica made of snow on the lawn of Traymore Road resident Amy Rosenfield.
The real Statue of Liberty stands just over 305 feet tall. Rosenfield’s not quite so high, perhaps 4 feet.
While it may not have the impressive stature of the real thing, Rosenfield, at 57, an adult who enjoys packing together a snowman once or twice a winter, said her work does have meaning behind it.
“I’m a patriotic American,” Rosenfield said. “We’re in a political moment now where the Statue of Liberty is relevant. That’s all I’ll say.”
“I made it all by myself,” said Rosenfield, who does not have children. “It took me about an hour. I don’t think kids play outside anymore. It was a day (Jan. 31) when there was lots of packable snow, so I went out and did it.”
Rosenfield said her snowmen are her little contribution to her neighborhood.
“It’s such a great neighborhood. I have neighbors around me who win awards from the city for their beautiful homes. They’re great gardeners. I can’t do that, so I do what I can do to beautify the neighborhood.”
A part-time employee of the Beachwood Library, Rosenfield said getting out and making a snowman is a sign of her “youthful spirit.”
“The last (snowman) I made was an adult reading a book to a child,” she said of combining her work and play life.
The real Statue of Liberty has stood since 1876. Rosenfield’s Statue of Liberty/snowman’s time is much more fleeting.
Speaking about both her snowman’s lifespan and its relevance today, Rosenfield said, “It’s a moment in history.”
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