The city’s guardian has been restored — the Angel of Peace (pictured) was returned to her seat atop East Rock in a ceremony Wednesday afternoon.
The Angel of Peace, which was parked on the New Haven Green for the last two months as it was publicly restored, was returned to its usual place in a dramatic, drum-roll-laden ceremony. Before hoisting the lady on slings, city officials packed a time capsule inside. It included: A key to the city; a New Haven Register article from 1885, current news articles from the Reg, a lucky penny, …
… this 19th-century shoe, which was slipped inside at the statue’s original creation to keep evil spirits away, and plopped out during restoration …
… and this woman’s family. Well, her family tree at least — Mary Louise Harris brought photos of her grandmother, Estelle Upham, at the dance and decidation ceremony for the Angel of Peace statue on June 17, 1887. A copy of her family tree, and copies of the photos, are now inside the capsule, which the city plans to open in another 100 years.
Students from the Hooker and East Rock schools, including drummers and a band, filled East Rock Park for the event.
The angel was swung up into the air, then restored to her perch.
Parks Director Bob Levine said the city has applied for a grant to reconstruct the stairway that used to enable visitors to climb to the top of the monument. The city has applied for a grant from the state to fund the project, which is already in the design stage and is projected to be completed in two to three years.