Walk into Oakland Cemetery on the edge of Iowa City and you’ll feel it. It isn't just the quiet of the headstones or the way the wind rattles through the old oaks. It’s the eyes. Specifically, the eyes of an eight-foot-tall bronze monument that has spent the last century turning a deep, sickly shade of midnight. People call it the Black Angel in Oakland Cemetery, and honestly, it’s one of the few urban legends that actually lives up to the hype when you’re standing in front of it at dusk.
It’s huge. It’s heavy. It’s weirdly intimidating. Unlike most cemetery angels that look like they’re ready to fly up to heaven, this one has its wings folded down. It’s looking at the ground. Its hands are reaching out as if it’s trying to grab something—or maybe just waiting for you to get close enough to touch.
Most people come here looking for a scare. They’ve heard the stories about how the statue turned black because of a lightning strike or a curse. But the real story? It’s actually a lot more interesting than the ghost stories, even if the reality is just as tragic as the folklore.
The Woman Behind the Bronze
Teresa Feldevert is the name you need to know. She was a Czech immigrant who came to America in the late 1800s. She wasn't just some random person; she was a woman who had dealt with an incredible amount of loss. First, she lost her son, Eddie Dolezal, who died in 1891 at only 18 years old. Then she lost her husband, Nicholas Feldevert.
She was mourning. Deeply.
Teresa commissioned Mario Korbel, a famous Bohemian sculptor, to create a monument for her family plot. She didn't want a cookie-cutter angel. She wanted something that captured the weight of her grief. Korbel delivered. He cast the statue in bronze in Chicago and it was finally installed in 1913.
But here’s where things got messy.
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Teresa was picky. She reportedly refused to pay the full price for the statue because she thought Korbel hadn't followed her instructions perfectly. This legal and financial squabble is actually where some of the "bad vibes" surrounding the statue started. People in town saw the drama. They saw this massive, dark, brooding figure go up, and they started talking. When Teresa died in 1924, her ashes were placed under the monument, but there was no death date carved for her.
That little omission fueled the fire. If there’s no date, did she ever really die? Or is she still "connected" to the bronze?
Why the Black Angel in Oakland Cemetery Turned Dark
If you ask a scientist, they’ll tell you about oxidation. Bronze is mostly copper. When copper sits outside in the rain, the snow, and the humidity of Iowa for a hundred years, it changes color. Think about the Statue of Liberty. It was originally a shiny penny color, but it turned green because of the patina.
The Black Angel in Oakland Cemetery is different.
Because of the specific alloy used and the way the bronze was treated, it didn't turn that classic Mint-Julep green. It turned a dark, charcoal black. It’s a chemical reaction. Pure and simple.
But locals? They weren't buying the chemistry lesson.
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The legends started early. One popular story says a lightning strike hit the statue on the night of Teresa’s funeral, charring the bronze as a sign from God that she wasn't as innocent as she seemed. Another says the statue turns a shade darker every time someone lies while standing under its wings. If you believe the more extreme whispers, the angel turned black because Teresa supposedly murdered her son—though there is absolutely zero historical evidence to support that. It’s just classic small-town gossip that solidified into "fact" over the decades.
The Curses That Keep Students Awake
University of Iowa students have a long history with this statue. It’s basically a rite of passage. If you go to school in Iowa City, you end up at Oakland Cemetery at midnight at least once.
The "rules" of the curse vary depending on who you ask, but the most common ones are:
- If you kiss the statue, you’ll die within seven years.
- If you touch the statue on Halloween night, your heart will stop.
- If a girl is kissed under the angel's wings, she will die within six months.
- Any pregnant woman who walks under the angel will suffer a miscarriage.
It’s heavy stuff. Obviously, thousands of people have touched the statue and lived to tell the tale. But standing there in the dark, with the Iowa wind whistling through the gravestones, those stories feel a lot more plausible.
Visiting Oakland Cemetery: What You Actually Need to Know
If you're planning to see the Black Angel in Oakland Cemetery, don't just go for the "spooky" factor. The cemetery itself is a historic treasure. It was established in 1843, and it’s the final resting place of some of Iowa’s most influential figures, from governors to university presidents.
The statue is located in the northern section of the cemetery. It’s not hard to find—just look for the tallest, darkest thing in sight.
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Pro-tip for visitors:
The cemetery is open to the public during daylight hours. If you go at night, you’re technically trespassing. The Iowa City police do patrol the area, especially around late October, because the statue has been a target for vandals in the past. People have tried to scrub the "black" off, which only ends up damaging the bronze and making the patina look splotchy.
Respect the space. This isn't a movie set. It’s a graveyard. People are buried here, and Teresa Feldevert’s family deserves a bit of decorum, even if their monument is the stuff of nightmares.
The Artistic Significance You Might Miss
When you get past the ghost stories, the craftsmanship of Mario Korbel is actually stunning. Look at the feathers. They aren't fluffy or light; they’re heavy and layered, almost like scales. The way the robe drapes over the figure’s body is incredibly realistic.
Korbel was a master of the "Art Nouveau" style, and you can see it in the flowing lines and the slightly melancholic posture. Most cemetery art from that era was very sentimental—lots of weeping children and hopeful-looking saints. This angel is different. It’s a work of modernism that was way ahead of its time for a cemetery in the middle of Iowa.
The angel doesn't have a name. It isn't "Gabriel" or "Michael." It’s just a messenger of sorrow. That ambiguity is why it sticks in your brain. It’s a blank canvas for whatever fears or grief you’re carrying.
Actionable Steps for Your Visit
If you really want to experience the Black Angel properly, do these things:
- Check the Weather: Go on an overcast day. The flat light makes the black bronze look even more intense and brings out the details in the face that get washed out in bright sunlight.
- Read the Plaque: There is a historical marker nearby that explains the Feldevert family history. It helps ground the legends in reality.
- Bring a Camera, Not a Flash: Use natural light. Flash photography makes the statue look "flat" and loses the eerie depth of the patina.
- Explore the Surrounding Graves: Look for the "Goosetown" section nearby. It’s where many of the Czech immigrants who built Iowa City are buried, and it gives you a sense of the community Teresa belonged to.
- Stay for the Sunset: As the sun goes down, the shadows of the wings stretch across the grass. It’s the most "cinematic" time to be there.
The Black Angel in Oakland Cemetery doesn't need fake stories to be interesting. The truth—a grieving mother, a snubbed artist, and a century of chemical reactions—is plenty. Whether you believe in the curse or just appreciate the art, it’s a spot that stays with you long after you leave the cemetery gates.