thank you for that post and pictures - what town in Ohio is that?
>>>>Looking down from the statue towards the street, you see a landscaped scene of two hearts, an M for Mary and a cross.<<<
that is the back side of the Miraculous Medal, given from the visitation of Our Lady of Grace to Saint Catherine LaBoure - http://www.miraclerosarymission.org/saint1.htm
North Jackson, near Youngstown. Here's the amazing story of how the land was acquired.
One day, driving along Lipkey Road, Father Peter noticed a sign, "Property for Sale 80 Acres." "That's it", he said. He was impressed by the long frontage, the evergreens of the State Forest, the Meander Reservoir (close to the property), the turnpike gate and the nearby Holiday Inn.
The owner of this property told Father Eid that she "will never sell to a Catholic." He tried to explain that a house of prayer would be much better than a junkyard or a supermarket, but to no avail. After three visits, Father Eid told her, "This is my last visit. But, I am going to call my friends and we will pray for nine days so that He will tell you to sell us the land to build a Sanctuary for His Mother, Mary." Father Peter then called upon his brother, Father Maroun Eid, Father Maroun Abi Nader and his brother Father Elias Abi Nader to pray a novena for this very intention. Surprisingly, before the nine days were over, the lady owning the land, called Father Eid and declared, "Priest, come and take the land. Your Lady is bothering me in my sleep!" In 1961, Father Eid paid $3,000 for a six-month option on the N. Lipkey Road property.
Lol!
You can read the entire history of the shrine, here.