Felicity, California
Encyclopedia
Felicity is an unincorporated community
in Imperial County
, California
, referred to as the "Center of the World".
It lies at an elevation of 285 feet (87 m).
Founded on May 11, 1986, the community was named after a town mentioned in Jacques-André Istel
's book Coe the Good Dragon and inspired by his wife, Felicia. It is accessible from Interstate 8 in the far southeast of the state, just before Yuma
, Arizona
.
at Felicity is a three-dimensional bronze of Michelangelo's
Arm of God painted on the Sistine Chapel
ceiling. The arm was sculpted and cast in bronze in New England
. The rock is local but the installation required the assistance of a mining engineer and a special drill. The bronze Roman numerals
give the time. A sundial is precisely accurate once a year and this was set at noon on Christmas Day. The arm points to the Hill of Prayer, site of the Church on the Hill at Felicity, under construction (2006). The Hill of Prayer was built in January 2002 by moving 150,000 tons of earth (engineered to earthquake zone 4 specifications). The church will remain the highest point in the town of Felicity now and in the future.
is the entrance sculpture at Felicity. In 1983, the government of France
removed approximately 500 ft (152.4 m) of the original stairway. Built with the technology of the 1860s, the weight of approximately 54000 lb (24,494 kg) was causing sway at the top of the then 94 year old tower. Twenty sections were sold at auction on the tower on 1 December 1983. Most are in museums and a few in private hands. Section 12 was bought at auction in June 1989 at the Chateau de Cheverny
. The installation of the 6600 lb (2,993.7 kg) section required engineering and a building permit. It serves no practical purpose, but is part of the spirit of Felicity.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Imperial County
Imperial County, California
Imperial County is a county located in the Imperial Valley, in the far southeast of the U.S. state of California, bordering both Arizona and Mexico. It is part of the El Centro Metropolitan Area, which encompasses all of Imperial County. The population as of 2000 was 142,361. The county seat is the...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, referred to as the "Center of the World".
It lies at an elevation of 285 feet (87 m).
Founded on May 11, 1986, the community was named after a town mentioned in Jacques-André Istel
Jacques-André Istel
Jacques-André Istel is a French-American recreational parachutist and investment banker widely responsible for popularizing parachuting in the United States...
's book Coe the Good Dragon and inspired by his wife, Felicia. It is accessible from Interstate 8 in the far southeast of the state, just before Yuma
Yuma, Arizona
Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It is located in the southwestern corner of the state, and the population of the city was 77,515 at the 2000 census, with a 2008 Census Bureau estimated population of 90,041....
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
.
The Sundial at Felicity
The gnomon of the 15 ft (4.6 m) SundialSundial
A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
at Felicity is a three-dimensional bronze of Michelangelo's
Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art...
Arm of God painted on the Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. It is famous for its architecture and its decoration that was frescoed throughout by Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio...
ceiling. The arm was sculpted and cast in bronze in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. The rock is local but the installation required the assistance of a mining engineer and a special drill. The bronze Roman numerals
Roman numerals
The numeral system of ancient Rome, or Roman numerals, uses combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet to signify values. The numbers 1 to 10 can be expressed in Roman numerals as:...
give the time. A sundial is precisely accurate once a year and this was set at noon on Christmas Day. The arm points to the Hill of Prayer, site of the Church on the Hill at Felicity, under construction (2006). The Hill of Prayer was built in January 2002 by moving 150,000 tons of earth (engineered to earthquake zone 4 specifications). The church will remain the highest point in the town of Felicity now and in the future.
Sculpture at entrance
The 25 ft (7.6 m) high section number 12 of the original stairway of the Eiffel TowerEiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
is the entrance sculpture at Felicity. In 1983, the government of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
removed approximately 500 ft (152.4 m) of the original stairway. Built with the technology of the 1860s, the weight of approximately 54000 lb (24,494 kg) was causing sway at the top of the then 94 year old tower. Twenty sections were sold at auction on the tower on 1 December 1983. Most are in museums and a few in private hands. Section 12 was bought at auction in June 1989 at the Chateau de Cheverny
Château de Cheverny
The Château de Cheverny is located at Cheverny, in the département of Loir-et-Cher in the Loire Valley in France.-History:The lands were purchased by Henri Hurault, comte de Cheverny, a lieutenant-general and military treasurer for Louis XI, whose descendent the marquis de Vibraye is the present...
. The installation of the 6600 lb (2,993.7 kg) section required engineering and a building permit. It serves no practical purpose, but is part of the spirit of Felicity.