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Statue needs professional help

3 min read
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WAYNESBURG – Gen. Nathanael Greene has seen better days – the 10-foot statue of the Revolutionary War commander sitting atop the dome of the Greene County Courthouse, that is.

The deteriorating condition of the wooden figure, with its copper hat held aloft and a 6-foot wooden sword hanging at its side, is causing some concern for county commissioners.

“It appears the general might be coming apart at the seams,” said commission Chairman Chuck Morris. “Some sections of the statue seem to have some serious wear and tear, and we are concerned there might be a safety issue here. The stability of the 700-pound-plus statue is in question.”

The county has sought some professional advice, and within a few weeks representatives from a restoration company are expected to look Gen. Greene over and make some recommendations.

The general for whom the county was named stood in quiet dignity on top of the courthouse for 70 years. But in November 1997 the statue was lowered to the ground for the first time, and in September 1998, a new statue, carved by the late Miles Davin Sr. out of Greene County poplar, was placed back on top of the dome.

In 1972, Davin had a contract to repair and paint the original statue. He discovered the figure was badly deteriorating and filled the splits with cement. Five years later, he climbed to the dome to give it another coat of paint.

When Davin carved the present statue, he worked from three images he painted of Greene, one on slate and two on canvas. He placed a foot-long, 3 ½-inch-diameter brass time capsule inside the general’s head filled with photos, articles and even a verse about the statue, the general and the courthouse.

His plan was to leave it there until 2098 or as long as it lasted. He had told the commissioners if it did not last 100 years, he would come back and fix it, but Davin died in 2008 at age 80.

It’s possible, the commissioners feel, that since Davin died, no one has done any repair work on the statue, and that may account for its condition.

The first figure of Greene was set in place when the courthouse was built in 1850, but it was destroyed by a wind-whipped spark from the Downey House Hotel fire on Christmas Day 1925.

The replacement statue was designed by John Pauley of Waynesburg and carved by Albert Wise, a carpenter with Acklin Lumber Co. It had black walnut eyes and a copper hat. Inch-thick rods ran from the hips through the bottom of the feet. It was placed on top of the dome on Nov. 17, 1927, and remained there until it was removed in 1997.

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