Big Mary on a Rock Tower

North Jackson, Ohio

This is a roughly half-size replica of the Our Lady of Lebanon shrine in Harissa, Lebanon. The land on which it stands was originally owned by a lady who refused to sell it to Catholics, but who changed her mind, she said, after Mary kept bothering her in her sleep.

Completed on July 20, 1965, the shrine has a 55-foot-tall rock base topped with a 16-foot-tall Mary carved from granite. Mary alone weighs 7.5 tons. A spiral staircase winds to the top of the tower, enabling visitors to enjoy close-up views of Mary and panoramas of Lipkey Rd.

According to the official shrine history, when Mary was placed atop the tower "a large cloud overhead turned brilliant shades of pink, blue, and other colors of the rainbow." This was interpreted by onlookers as a sign of Mary's approval.