New Mariner Statue Anchored at Joppa Park

JOPPA, MD - A 12-foot-tall statue has been installed at Mariner Point Park in Joppa, greeting visitors and boaters along the Gunpowder River.

Clad in a yellow raincoat, "The Mariner" is carved from a single piece of white pine from the Eastern Shore. Artist Paul Waclo attended this week's unveiling of the statue at the waterfront park, which contains more than 37 acres for recreation, including trails, a boat launch, playgrounds, horseshoe pit and pavilions.

It is the third iteration of the statue. The first, installed in 2002, was taken out by a driver who claimed the mariner jumped in front of his car, County Executive Barry Glassman said at Wednesday's unveiling. Once it was rebuilt, the replacement mariner statue could not withstand the elements, eroded by water and termites, according to Glassman. The new statue has high-grade exterior paint to help ensure a long life.

"This means a lot to the Joppa community," Paula Mullis, chair of the Joppa/Joppatowne Community Advisory Board, said in a statement. "This is thrilling for Joppa; it’s like Joppa of years ago."

Photo courtesy of Harford County government.