Guy Lochhead, 04/12/10
The Dickeyville Grotto is a collection of religious and patriotic shrines at the intersection of U.S. Highways 151 and 35 built by local pastor Mathius Wernerus between 1925 and 1931 out of concrete decorated with shells, tiles, stones etc. donated by parishers. They were intended to put “Religion in stone and Patriotism in Stone”, driven by a deeply rooted allegiance to his country and the Christian god. Father Wernerus died in 1931, believing the grotto was to become the biggest pilgrimage destination in the country, and worried about the consequences of this. It is free to visit, relying on the donations of benefactors for upkeep. I always like a good bit of folk art/visionary environment-making, but I don’t like the religious drive behind this one. It’s such a shame that a person’s creativity should be hampered by something so silly. I would still like to visit it though. It’s probably cool to look around.