In her youth, she labored to catch the wind to pump water for the lady of her estate. Some say that she was surrounded by a moat and greenhouses. Her wrought iron balconies were the pride of family and friends. A great war came to her town and though spared the indignity of cannon and musket wounds, her height provided a point for signaling to and from military positions. By the time she was 50, she had retired from pumping water and became a source of music for young women seeking education. She witnessed the tragedy of a great fire at nearby Blanton Hall and heard the joyous cheers of many a Belmont graduating class. So distinguished was she with 100 years behind her that the university growing about her feet chose her as the symbol to identify the institution to the world.
Today, her lofty duties as a catcher of wind and purveyor of music have changed again. She has become a hanging place for a banner that celebrates flag day. It isn’t so bad to have someone strap cables to her columns and bolts into her crumbling mortar. Under that banner band-aid are the wounds of disrepair: the rotting trim of her youth, the missing windows, and pealing paint. The visitors coming to watch her be a part of selecting the most powerful leader on earth will be spared images of the blemishes beneath..
She needs your help now. You can make a donation here. She deserves it. She deserves better than her current state of disrepair. Belmont University should be more sensitive to the deteriorating symbol and how she reflects on the institution.
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