Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Restoration Project
Preserving Columbia's Tribute
Mission: The mission of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Restoration Project is to ensure the Memorial continues to serve the legacy of Dr. King and remain a place of pride and inspiration for Columbia's residents and visitors.
History: For many years, Columbia citizens dreamed of a memorial for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Columbia City Council appointed the first committee to work on the Memorial to Dr. King in 1988. In the summer of 1988 a second committee convened to determine how and where Columbia would honor Dr. King. After considering many options, the group recommended the creation of a special monument located on a two acre city-owned tract at the Stadium Boulevard entrance to the MKT/Nature Fitness trail.
A third citizen group was appointed in the fall of 1988. This committee held a national competition to determine the design of the Memorial with twenty-five models submitted for evaluation. The winning design was created by Barbara Grygutis, an artist from Tuscan, Arizona.
The Memorial, completed in 1993, is a semi-circle built into the ground. The interior is faced with five circular steps formed with granite. The surface of the stone steps are smooth and suitable for seating, as in a small amphitheater. On top of the Memorial are eight triangular upright columns, each engraved with a quote from Dr. King's writings. In the center of the semi-circle is a spiral path of 40 bricks, each representing one year of Dr. King's life. The spiral is a symbol of infinity.
