Statue of Santa Monica

Here, at the end of Wilshire Boulevard, you’re facing the ocean… and one of the most recognizable landmarks in Palisades Park: the statue of Saint Monica, the city’s patron saint. Take a moment to look at it. Its clean, geometric lines, almost reminiscent of 1930s movie sets, are typical of the Art Deco style, and the statue itself is made of light-colored concrete set on a massive base. The small grassy promontory on which it stands was shaped like a heart, in reference to the most familiar image of Monica: that of a mother deeply devoted to her son, Augustine. Augustine, known today as Saint Augustine of Hippo, became one of the great thinkers of Christianity, yet in his youth he distanced himself from religion and led a rather free-spirited life, which greatly worried his mother. For years, Monica prayed for him and hoped he would find his path. Eventually, as an adult, he converted, became a bishop in North Africa and wrote major works in which he paid tribute to the essential role his mother played in his life. This symbolic bond is believed to explain the name Santa Monica. During the Spanish expedition of 1769, Father Juan Crespí is said to have been struck by local springs, now known as the Tongva Sacred Springs, whose appearance reminded him of Saint Monica’s tears. The statue itself arrived much later. It was inaugurated on May 4, 1935, in the midst of the Great Depression, as part of a New Deal art program designed to support artists and enhance public spaces. It was created by sculptor Eugene Morahan, and local lore even suggests that Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor associated with Mount Rushmore, may have helped before the inauguration, quite something if true. In any case, the statue stands at the intersection of Ocean Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard, a place that once had a far less peaceful nickname: it was known as Dead Man’s Curve. In the early 20th century, Santa Monica hosted open-road car races, and this bend marked a particularly dangerous point on the circuit. Cars would arrive at high speed down Ocean Avenue before having to make a sharp turn east onto Wilshire, and several accidents occurred here, quickly earning the spot its rather dark name. The races were eventually stopped around 1919, notably due to the city’s growth and the risks posed to both the public and the drivers. Today, nothing remains of this eventful past, but the site still preserves this small chapter in the early history of the automobile in California. It’s now a narrow park, pleasant for a stroll with views over the iconic Santa Monica beach.