The Stone Carver of the Worcester Memorial Auditorium
Luckily for us, history lovers have a way of finding each other. Over the summer, we received an email from Justin van Deursen, who told us that his great grand uncle, Enrico Liva, an Italian stone carver, had carved several of the decorative panels that grace the exterior of the Worcester Memorial Auditorium. Justin generously shared images of the carvings as well as more information about Enrico Liva, which we have shared below with permission.
With a building as large and impressive as the Auditorium, the exterior details add to the overall impression, but don’t always get their due. Taking in the giant Classical Revival structure, we see the massive Doric columns and a decorated frieze, but how often do we really stop and pay attention to the details?
Seeing these images from Liva’s stone carving studio brings these figures into focus and shows us how incredibly intricate they are, and how skillfully they are made. Can you spot where the carvings show up on the building’s front facade? We are thankful to Justin for taking the time to share these images and this fascinating family history with us. We look forward to learning more about Enrico Liva and his family in the future!
ENRICO G. LIVA was the tenth of eleven children of Giusto Liva and Margherita Visentin Liva, born in Savona, Italy, on August 24, 1889. His father and five brothers were sculptors, painters and ornamental plaster artists whose work brought them to various places in Europe including Norway, Russia, Sweden, and cities in Italy. “Harry” received his grammar and fine art education in Palermo, Sicily, under Professor Francesco Crocivera, while his family was producing architectural embellishments for the Teatro Massimo opera house. He moved to New York in 1904 and obtained a card in the Journeymen Stone Cutters’ Association the following year.
Harry worked for the Charles C. Ingalls Stone Company of Bedford, IN, for most of his career, becoming head of the stone carving department. He and his son, Luigi Liva, produced work found throughout the country. Harry continued projects in his home studio in Bedford and volunteered his skills for organizations he cared about. Highlights include the Chrysler Building, Lincoln Memorial, Duke University Chapel, and many more.
Harry and Maria had six children: Luigi “Louis”, Emil, Gilda, Aurelio, Adele, and Margherita. Harry passed away on April 30, 1963, and is buried with his wife in Cresthaven Memory Gardens in Bedford, IN.
