The historic Steelmen statue at Joliet Central High School has been temporarily relocated and will undergo restoration as part of the ongoing T&I Building Link construction project that broke ground in January 2025.
The white-bronze figure, which has stood as the spiritual heart of Joliet Central since 1935, was carefully disassembled and moved on June 25 to a secure project space within the Pathways Building.
It will undergo a comprehensive restoration before being installed in its new permanent home within the Link, a major addition connecting buildings on the historic campus at 201 E. Jefferson St.
The statue will remain secured in the Pathways Building until restoration begins after the upcoming holiday. Local artist Dante DiBartolo will lead the effort with the Joliet Central team to ensure the statue’s careful handling throughout the process.
DiBartolo has an established record of community-focused artistic work, having previously completed murals at Joliet Township High School District 204 Student Central and the Transition Center, as well as numerous other mural and statue restoration projects for the city of Joliet.
In a fitting coincidence, DiBartolo was also the model used for the ROTC mural located on the teacher’s lot wall across from the school on Jefferson Street.
Sculpted by Louise Lentz Woodruff, a former Joliet Township High School student, the work was created for the 1933-34 Chicago World’s Fair, “A Century of Progress,” where it was displayed in front of the Hall of Science representing “Science Advancing Mankind.”
The statue arrived at Joliet Central in 1935, accompanied by eight bas-relief panels representing the sciences of astronomy, botany, chemistry, geology, mathematics, medicine, physics and zoology.
Before the statue’s arrival, Joliet Central’s athletic teams were known as “The Prison City Boys.” The Steelmen name has endured for more than 90 years, becoming one of the most recognizable symbols in Illinois high school athletics.