From left, Frank Foster, Dante DiBartolo, Javier DelToro, Russ Orban and Ahmmad Farhan begin the laborious process of dissembling the historic JTHS Steelman prior to a complete restoration and move to a new location.

An icon nearly a century in the making is on the move.

Joliet Township High School officials announced this week that 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 beloved 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 secured project space within the Pathways Building, where 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.

“This is such an exciting opportunity to highlight the history and significance of the Steelmen and to celebrate the reverence he holds in this community as he nears his 100th birthday,” said Carrie DelRose, part of the project team for Gilbane Building Company, which is overseeing construction of the Link project. “We are confident the Steelmen will be in good hands.”

DelRose said the move itself was no small feat. “Disassembly was a slow process, and the pieces were very heavy. It really took a team effort, and our JT Central Building Team stepped up in a big way,” she said. “We are so grateful for their work getting him to safety. It was exciting to be part of this first step in the Steelmen’s journey.”

The statue will remain secured in the Pathways Building until restoration begins after the upcoming holiday. Local artist Dante DiBartolo will lead that effort, working in close collaboration 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 the Student Central and 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 Jefferson Street.

DiBartolo has been consulting with fellow Joliet area sculptor Marsha Lega, who created the Steelmen statue at the corner of Eastern and Jefferson streets and has longstanding ties to the Joliet Central band community. Together, the two artists will work to repair worn and damaged areas of the statue, cleaning and polishing it back to its original finish.

The Steelmen statue carries a remarkable history. Sculpted by Louise Lentz Woodruff (1893 to 1966), a former Joliet Township High School student herself who enrolled in 1906, the work was originally 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.

The T&I Building Link project, managed by Gilbane Building Company, broke ground in January 2025. Exterior construction and first floor renovation are expected to be completed by early 2027, with second floor work finishing in time for the 2027-2028 school year. The restored Steelmen statue will be kept in secure on campus storage until construction of its new home within the Link is complete.

Joliet Central, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was designed in the Collegiate Gothic style by architect Frank Shaver Allen and opened in April 1901.

Story and photo courtesy of Joliet Township High School District.