LEXINGTON, Ky (LEX 18) — Nettie Depp was the first woman in Kentucky to run for public office, when she was elected superintendent of Barren County schools in 1913. Depp won the election seven years before women had full voting rights in Kentucky. The Kentucky education icon will be honored, by being the first woman ever to have a statue at the capitol.
The statue has been years in the making at Prometheus Foundry.
"So up until a few days ago, she had these sticks, sticking out of her arms and her neck because she came in, in pieces and foam," sculptor and CEO of Promethus Foundry, said.
The statue honors Nettie Depp. "She had an inaugural run for office, as superintendent of schools. She was a teacher, she worked with children.she was asked to represent both parties. So both parties asked her to run on their ticket," Matthews said.
Nettie Depp did that in 1913, before women in Kentucky had full voting rights. The statue will be the first ever of a woman to stand at the capitol. "I created the scale model, at about 12 inches tall. And then we actually had it digitally scanned and enlarged in foam, to her current size, which is 6.5 feet or so," Matthews said.
Amanda Matthews says there is still more than 300 hours of work to go. "What you don't see is that she is going to have a significant hat pin. Because that was necessary, according to the history museum for women of the day, especially for women who would be going to the capitol."
Honoring an iconic Kentucky woman, by continuing to break down barriers. "When those icons are absent, then we are not giving the correct message to our children."
The statue is set to be unveiled at the capitol on August 22nd.
