The Curtain in the Gym


was reassembled on the Westminster campus.

In the basement (technically the undercroft) of the church is a museum and library dedicated to Churchill's life and times. Exhibits there trace Churchill's background and his rise to Prime Minister. Outside, there is also a statue of Churchill in one of his typically Churchillian poses.

A more recent addition to the memorial is, if not literally a piece of iron from the Iron Curtain, then at least a concrete one. "Breakthrough," a sculpture fashioned from a portion of the Berlin Wall, was created by Edwina Sandwys, Churchill's granddaughter, a noted sculptor. It was dedicated in 1990 by the late former President Ronald Reagan, who is today regarded as one of the major contributors to the Iron Curtain's fall.

If you have extra time after visiting the library, be sure to wander across campus to see the historic marble columns. The gym can be found nearby. If you're lucky, the doors will be open, and you can get a peek inside. It's a wonderful bit of history in a lovely, very homespun town.

Sources

Winston Churchill Memorial and Library http://www.wcmo.edu/cm/

Text of "The Sinews of Peace" http://www.hpol.org/churchill

Additional Background Material on President McCluer's Invitation http://www.geocities.com/lrampey/ironcur...

The copyright of the article The Curtain in the Gym in American History is owned by Rick Muenchow. Permission to republish The Curtain in the Gym in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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