Half-Moon Walk: An Eden in Disrepair

The Pieta, centerpiece of Half-Moon Walk, fallen into decay. Photo via August Boland '24

Half-Moon Walk is perhaps one of the most obscure places on campus. Situated next to a sidewalk that goes just past Tenny Stadium up to Leo and Sheahan Hall, the path winds through a natural grotto of rocks and trees, with a few benches and a statue of the Pieta. While once an oasis of tranquility, it has since fallen into disrepair.

The centerpiece of the walk is the Pieta, analogous to Michelangelo’s famous work depicting Mary, the Mother of God, clutching the body of her son, Jesus Christ. Michaelangelo’s Pieta in the Vatican is enshrined and visited by the thousand every year; the one in the walk is in a state of rot. Moss sprouts from the cracked scalps of Mary and Christ. Spiderwebs crisscross their backs and sides. One of Christ’s hands has fallen off at the wrist, and He is missing his right leg below the knee. The lamp that serves to illuminate the statue at night has not functioned in years.

During Alumni Weekend, I spoke to several alumni who came by the walk. One group of alumni passing by was disappointed by its condition. They told me that the walk had once had an actual grotto, a covering of sorts above the statue to shield it from the elements and serve as a cave. Another alumnus I spoke to did not recognize the walk. He could not believe that it was the same Half-Moon Walk from his college days and was in disbelief when he realized that the grotto’s covering was gone.

The statue is one of the few statues of Mary on campus, at a college named after her. It is not the only statue exposed to the elements on campus. In the shade of the Graystone building, a favored spot of atmospheric Instagram picture-takers and studiers alike, stands a statue of St. Christopher, patron saint of travelers, together with a child. It shows little signs of weathering and shines in the sun.

As our school spends $60 million remodeling Dyson on top of all the other college expenses, I should not think it too difficult to spruce up Half-Moon Walk. It could easily become a frequented spot of tranquility once more. With the restoration of the Pieta and the addition of a few more benches, together with some tables and chairs perhaps, Half-Moon Walk could become an eden, worthy of being photographed and visited by first-years and upperclassmen for years to come. I believe we owe that much to the alumni, at least.