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A Little Bit Of Trivia – Princess Noccalula Statue

One of the most interesting things we have around Noccalula Falls if the Statue of Princess Noccalula. (If you want a quick summary of Princess Noccalula the person, Click Here.)

Since 1969, she has been perpetually poised to take a leap off of our 90 foot waterfall into the waters below, but few people actually know the story behind the statue.

Well here it is with all of the facts I could dig up.

Our statue was commissioned by the Women’s Club of Gadsden in 1067 and was paid for entirely by donations made by the residents of Etowah County Alabama

The stature was sculped by Dr. Suzanne Silvercruys of Tucson, Arizona. Dr. Silvercruys was originally a Norwegian Heiress before coming to the United States. Although she was not born in this country, she was well known as an American Patriot, often lecturing on the subject of Native American History throughout the country.

Noccalula’s Statue was unveiled on September 22nd, 1969. The statue is 9 feet tall and weighs 2700 pounds. It is made of bronze. The original cost was $25000, which is $203,794.28 in 2023 currency. Wow, that’s a lot of money!

Here is an interesting fact. The clothes she wears are incorrect for this area. Instead of Creek or Cherokee native American clothing, the Princess’s clothes are modeled after those worn by the Plains Native Americans.

Now a bit about the model for the statue. A 15 year old girl from Glencoe High School named Kay Smith (later Kay Smith Stanley of Rainbow City, Alabama) posed for the artist. Mrs. Stanley said of her experience, “It is something I will always remember, It has been a wonderful experience to be associated with Dr. Silvercruys. She is a great person and a wonderful soul. It is easy to see why she is respected and loved in many countries.”

Stanley was present in costume at the statue’s dedication and signed autographs for those wishing to meet “the real Princess Noccalula.”

Sadly, Mrs. Stanley passed away in 2014.

So there you have it. Several interesting facts about the Noccalula Statue. How many did you know?

Make sure to stop by and see Princess Noccalula whenever you are in the area.

 

Photo Credit: Gadsden Times  Kay Smith Stanley, model for the Princess Noccalula Statue.

 

a group of people posing for a photo

15 year old Kay Smith Stanley, dressed as Princess Noccalula, and sculptor Suzanne Silvercruys pose for photo.

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