Don Andres Avelino Duarte is coming closer to his home to the rancho he loved and ultimately lost. When he returns, he will be tall in the saddle, bronzed from his journey from China, and "guaranteed [to remain so] for at least a thousand years," notes sculptor/artist Richard Myer, who created the original design of the 12-foot high bronze of the City's namesake.

The statue of Andres Duarte, depicted seated proudly atop his stallion, was completed in late July at the foundry in Dalian, China and shipped to Los Angeles in a container that could barely confine the massive piece that weighs more than two tons. Upon its arrival on Aug. 9, the statue was transported to temporary accommodations at a large facility in Azusa for what City officials and the Duarte in Bronze committee of the Duarte Historical Society hope will be a short detour, until plans can be worked out on a permanent site for the statue to be erected.

Originally, the statue was to be placed at the northeast corner of Huntington Dr. and Mt. Olive. But once the statue began taking on its larger-than-life size shape, it became apparent that the originally selected site was too small a space. The location had been decided at a time when a statue of Andres Duarte as a lone standing figure was being considered.

Now, City officials are proposing that the statue be installed in a new community plaza that would be constructed on a nearly half-acre piece of city owned land across the street from City Hall. The plaza was already on the drawing boards for the future, a concept of the Downtown Duarte Advisory Committee to the Duarte Economic Development Commission, to provide a gathering place for community events. Discussions are now underway to see if it is possible to move ahead on construction plans.

A few days after the statue arrived nearby, a small party of city officials and Duarte in Bronze committee heads were given a sneak peek at the statue where it is being housed temporarily. Although still cramped in a cargo container, head partially covered by canvas, for those who had just dreamed for years of what it might be it was thrilling to see it and touch it.

"Seeing the statue for the first time took my breath away, even though we have been working on the project for three years," said Duarte Historical Society President, Claudia Heller. "It is surely monumental in its sheer size, but more than that, it is a beautiful piece of art in its entirety as well as in the details. I am sure the Duarte family will be pleased with this tribute to their ancestor," she said.

Jim Kirchner, chairman of the Duarte in Bronze committee that raised $26,000 in community donations for the statue, said he is pleased that it may become the centerpiece in a town plaza. "It's fitting. The grandeur of this monument requires a special place of its own," he said.

When efforts to raise the remainder of the money needed to cast the statue stalled, the Duarte Redevelopment Agency agreed to pay $109,000 to assist the effort. Major community donations were made by IHOP, Affiliated Jacobson Holdings, and the Hardiman Cureton Family. Heller said she is looking forward to the day soon when the community can celebrate the dedication of the statue, just in time to coincide with the City's upcoming 50th anniversary of incorporation.

"When this great statue is erected in the plaza, Duarteans can visit the city's namesake and leisurely view this masterful piece of public art. It has been an honor to be part of this historic project," she said.