Standing eight feet tall, she looms over the hills of Oakland Cemetery. While all attention is drawn to her, she gazes downward, keeping a constant watch over her commissioner below.
This is the Black Angel, a folk legend here in Iowa City. An icon of the cemetery since her installation in 1912, she has grown into a campus myth. Tales of needing to kiss beneath her or that she darkens every Halloween have remained prevalent over her century-long reign.
Today, her history serves as an important reminder of how college towns and university culture can preserve tradition in an era of ready-made horror and dying communal connections. The Black Angel stands as a beacon of homegrown culture from her pedestal.
Now showing her supercentenarian age, the Black Angel’s inscriptions are barely legible, many of her fingers are missing, and spots of her black coat are chipped away. But despite the weather she’s endured, she still stands.
The angel was commissioned by Teresa Feldevert, who came to Iowa City from Bohemia with her son, Eddie. After Eddie’s death, Feldevert had a tree stump monument placed in Oakland Cemetery in his memory. She later moved to Oregon, married, and eventually returned to Iowa with her husband’s ashes. She then commissioned the Black Angel to watch over all three of them.
Over the decades, the statue’s original bronze oxidized to black, much like the Statue of Liberty turning green. This change helped build the local folklore that has endured in the Iowa City community and among students for more than a half-century. Folklore like this is vital in small college towns, where it fosters a sense of community and culture for new and longtime residents alike.
Today, connections to one’s community and its history are often muddled by the larger, global media landscape. Local folktales take a backseat to quick horror on YouTube or streaming services, where only the most shocking or outrageous stories gain traction — often in places far removed from the viewer.
While some may see the Black Angel as an old withering statue deep in an out-of-the-way cemetery, she represents community spirit. She came to life in time when oddities sparked rumors and stories, creating a shared narrative within the community.
As new students arrive from outside the area, they can participate in this pre-existing folktale, giving them an instant connection to their new town and helping them feel a sense of belonging from the start.
More than a century later, the Black Angel has brought people together while silently protecting two immigrants who joined the community. She also serves a larger mission that should be cherished and protected. She helps connect us to the life and culture of college towns, something that has begun to fade in recent years.