Long Hidden Beloit Mural to be on view during Beloit Heritage Days
In 1985, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the founding of Beloit, a mural that I painted for a relatively new municipal building was dedicated. The mural is in two parts. One is Beloit Today (1985) and the other is the History of Beloit. The portion Beloit Today (1985) has been hidden for a long while. The complete mural will be on display to the public as part of Beloit Heritage Days
Viewing Information:
I had long thought that half of the mural had been destroyed and every inquiry that I made, netted no answers. But the missing half of the mural has been reinstalled in the City Council meeting room.
Originally, there were 2 hallways in the municipal building that originated at the north entrance. The hallway with the History of Beloit Mural is still there and that mural is in its original place. The second hallway no longer exists, and I didn’t know what happened to the Beloit Today mural until recently.
Viewing Information:
- Beloit Today (1985) mural - Beloit City Hall, 100 State Street, 1st Floor, September 5, 2025, 10 AM to 12 PM only.
- History of Beloit mural is on view every workday in the entrance hallway of Beloit City Hall.
I had long thought that half of the mural had been destroyed and every inquiry that I made, netted no answers. But the missing half of the mural has been reinstalled in the City Council meeting room.
Originally, there were 2 hallways in the municipal building that originated at the north entrance. The hallway with the History of Beloit Mural is still there and that mural is in its original place. The second hallway no longer exists, and I didn’t know what happened to the Beloit Today mural until recently.
That mural has been rehung in the City Council room. It is titled Beloit today and depicts Beloit as it looked in 1985. It is installed on three walls rather than as a single picture and the reflections from the lights in the room make it difficult to see the top of the mural.
I will be at the viewing on September 5th and will answer questions about the mural.
Originally there were glass walls between the municipal chambers and two hallways. The chamber had a sloped seating area. From the front of the former chamber, a person could look up and see both murals as a vast panorama of city and sky. The two murals were held together compositionally by the Rock River which flowed through the entire work. In the hallway, the river carries the viewer along from one vignette to another. The ability to see the mural from two different distances has now been lost. But I am happy and relieved to know that the complete mural still exists.
I will be at the viewing on September 5th and will answer questions about the mural.
Originally there were glass walls between the municipal chambers and two hallways. The chamber had a sloped seating area. From the front of the former chamber, a person could look up and see both murals as a vast panorama of city and sky. The two murals were held together compositionally by the Rock River which flowed through the entire work. In the hallway, the river carries the viewer along from one vignette to another. The ability to see the mural from two different distances has now been lost. But I am happy and relieved to know that the complete mural still exists.
Early on, the city covered the mural with glass, so it has survived in very good condition. The mural was designed to be removable, thanks to the foresight of the original committee.
The portion of my mural depicting contemporary Beloit of 1985, shows homes, schools, churches, hospitals, industry, parks, children playing, police cars, fire trucks, city workers, a parade and more. These are some of things that make Beloit a good place to live.
The History of Beloit mural is designed as a timeline. It begins with the earliest settlers arriving and founding a frontier town in 1835. It moves on to show the coming of the railroad, Abraham Lincoln’s speech and parade, the growth of Beloit College, and the growth of industry. This includes the production of steel windmills. It also depicts the coming of each new immigrant group and concludes with the Great Migration which brought African Americans to Beloit during World War I.
This work took me two years to complete. I took over 500 photographs and walked on nearly every street in Beloit, and I performed extensive historical research. The research was given to the Historical Society of Beloit in 1986.
This work took me two years to complete. I took over 500 photographs and walked on nearly every street in Beloit, and I performed extensive historical research. The research was given to the Historical Society of Beloit in 1986.
