1976 Mural on the Square

If you lived in Washington in the 1970s or 1980s, you undoubtedly remember the mural on the square.  Four ladies with a passion for art took advantage of their talents, a convenient location, and a generous community to create something in 1976 that everyone could enjoy.  It livened up the square, promoted the history of the town, and came at a time when, because of Washington’s sesquicentennial in 1975 and the U.S.A. bicentennial of 1976, community pride and involvement were at a peak in Washington.  The mural may be long gone, but our pride remains.  Here is the story.

The Tazwood Art League was formed in 1970 by Washingtonians Jo Ann Bell, Jo Ann Bender, and Judith Wilkerson. Over the years, the league grew to over twenty members, sponsored art shows and charity functions, gave lessons, and donated several pieces of original art to local institutions.

The mural started very simply.  The idea of doing it in Washington came down to a league member seeing a mural in another town and seeing a blank wall in Washington.  Four ladies, Jo Ann Bell, Jackie Strubhar, Nancy Peters, and Jennifer Kauzlarich, decided to paint a tribute to Washington on the south wall of the “Essig Building.”  That wall had become exposed, as the City Building, which had been between W.R.C. and Walnut Street, was torn down a few years earlier.  Dean Essig gave them permission to paint on the wall, and the ladies set off to accomplish their vision.

Jo Ann Bell designed the mural. Jackie Strubhar sketched the design on the wall. Then, the four ladies brought the design to life. Overall, the group estimated they each spent over 80 hours working on the project.

The community was a great help during the completion of the painting.  Del Construction Company donated the scaffolding needed to paint the mural, located ten feet off the ground under the W.R.C. billboard.  The Washington Junior Woman’s Club, the Washington Jaycettes, and the ladies’ own Tazwood Art League donated money for paint and supplies.  The paint, an enamel sign paint, was chosen for its durability and was predicted to last for years.

After the mural, titled “From the Old to the New,” was complete, a dedication program was planned to honor the women who had poured so much time and energy into the project.  The program, held on September 25, 1976, was scheduled to be on the square but was moved to the Washington Grade School gymnasium due to rain. Mayor Ed Habecker distinguished the mural as a historical landmark, several musical tributes by the Washington High School show choir “The Company” directed by Betty Zook were performed, and a poem specially written for the occasion by William Hess was read.  Hundreds of Washingtonians crammed into the little gym to honor the ladies.

The four artists were a bit embarrassed by all the attention that the commemoration program bestowed on them, but it was well deserved.  As a further tribute to the ladies’ work, the mural was featured in the March 1977 issue of Outdoor Illinois magazine.

In 1983, Bell, Peters, and Strubhar reunited to renovate the mural. They spent two weeks on scaffolding again, getting the mural back in tip-top shape.

In 1985, a large chunk of the plaster on which the mural was painted came crashing to the ground, ruining the painting and ending its time on the square.

Today, the wall is a plain, stark white, with no reminders of the beauty that once adorned it.

SPECIAL THANKS TO NANCY PETERS AND JENNIFER KAUZLARICH FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS ARTICLE