Before being placed on its base at the Railroad Avenue park, the 6-foot, 3-inch statue was transported around downtown Elkins in a parade that started at the Tygart Valley Mall.

The Rosie statue is the second item in as many weeks to be placed at the All-Veterans Memorial Park, after a Gold Star Families Memorial Monument arrived in town on June 10. 

Friday’s parade featured members of the Emma Scott Garden Club, two of Elkins’ living Rosies, Lorraine Moran, 101, and Juanita Morgan, 102, Elkins Mayor Jerry Marco, State Senator Robbie Morris, and a host of veterans on motorcycles.

“I think it’s great to have these new memorials and statues in Elkins to honor veterans, their families, and those who have supported wars over the years,” Morris told The Inter-Mountain Friday.

A large group of visitors gathered next to the All-Veterans Memorial on Friday to watch the Rosie the Riveter statue be delivered. The Emma Scott Garden Club was in charge of the project and raised money for the statue.

“The Rosie the Riveter statue is a fantastic tribute to the women of the United States that helped keep America moving forward during World War II, while men were off overseas defending freedom around the world,” Morris said.

“It’s great to see a community that supports and appreciates veterans and to have this park being developed right here in one of the main intersections in Randolph County,” he added.

The Rosie the Riveter statue was designed by Big Statues in Provo, Utah at a cost of $67,000. It was delivered to Elkins in early May, and a groundbreaking ceremony for the statue took place earlier this week.

“This is a very historic moment for the Emma Scott Garden Club, our community, and all of West Virginia,” EMSGC member Linda Shomo, who oversaw the project as the club’s president for the past two years, told The Inter-Mountain. “This statue is for all the great ladies of World War II that stepped up to help our country during its darkest times.”

Rosie the Riveter is a cultural icon that represents the women who worked in factories and shipyards during the war. Any woman who received pay for any essential work during war is considered a Rosie. 

Shomo said the project couldn’t have been possible without the help of many in the community, including: Randolph County Commissioners David Kesling, Cris Siler and Chris See; Jim Davis; Ashton White; Todd Wamsley; Lynn Phillips; Judy Guye; Charles Shomo; Jim Sayers; Peggy Ross; Tonya White; and Marco.

The next phase of the project at the All-Veterans Memorial Park will include construction of a sitting wall next to the statue, new sidewalks for the entire park, lighting, site signs, benches, and a parking lot.

The total cost for the second phase of the project is estimated to be around $190,000.

The Emma Scott Garden Club is currently accepting donations for the project, and recently established a GoFundMe account. For more information, or to make a donation, contact Shomo at 703-861-9351.