Thomas Lowry memorial park island, across from Temple Israel.

early morning, last week. peaceful.

the savage and the slave, seen in relief,
backside. she picking grapes, he pounding stone

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The memorial was originally across the street from the First Methodist Church (spiral cut off in the photo), across the street from Lowry's mansion, on land another rich family -- the French's -- gave as a park triangle. The interstate exit now cuts right up against the side of the church, and the triangle is no more.

"Virginia Triangle was eventually lost to freeway construction when I-94 was built through the city. With freeway entrances and exits needed for Hennepin and Lyndale, the triangle had to be removed even though the freeway itself was put underground below Lowry Hill and Virginia Triangle.

The state highway department paid the park board $24,300 for the triangle in 1966, plus the actual cost of relocating the Lowry Memorial. The park board chose another triangle about a half-mile south on Hennepin Avenue at 24th Street as the new site for Thomas Lowry. The low bid for moving the memorial to the new site at Smith Triangle in 1967 was $38,880.

The inscription on Lowry’s memorial reads:

Be this community strong and enduring — it will do homage to the men who guided its youth.*

David C. Smith

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* "Growth" not youth.