ORONO, Maine — Finding a home for a Civil War soldier statue restored by the Orono Historical Society has been harder than members thought it would be, Marlene Doucette, historical society president, said Tuesday.
“It’s discouraging,” she said.
The group hoped to rededicate the refurbished historic statue this year, which marks the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War in 1865, but has run into roadblocks.
Society members unsuccessfully worked for years to get permission to place the life-sized metallic zinc figure, which wears a Civil War uniform and cap and has a militia overcoat draped over its right shoulder, on U.S. post office land. Those requests were denied.
They also have talked about placing the monument at the new University Credit Union headquarters, on the sidewalk between the town office and the public safety building, or next to the town office in a spot now occupied by a Colorado spruce.
“We [now] have our hearts set on where that tree is,” Doucette said. “We can find disadvantages with all of the other locations.”
The proposed sidewalk location, for instance, is close enough to the road that society members fear salt, sand and snowplows might damage it, Doucette said.
The town’s Tree Board, however, opposes removal of the Colorado spruce, saying it is healthy and has unique characteristics.
Town Manager Sophie Wilson said Tuesday in an email that several options remain on the table.
Councilors “discussed options for the placement of the monument and asked staff to evaluate the feasibility of a location on the Public Library and Senior Center parcel,” Wilson said. “Staff will report back at the next council committee meeting,” which is Monday.
The Civil War soldier statue was installed 125 years ago to honor the 39 local men who died during the war. More than 250 Orono men fought in that war.
The statue was dedicated in 1890 at a downtown location, but it has moved five times over the years as the town changed and developed, until finally finding a home in Webster Park, where it was damaged by vandals who broke the soldier’s musket and bayonet.
Doucette fears the same thing will happen if the statue is placed somewhere less visible to the public.
Water that seeped into the top of the monument created a massive crack, and it was deemed too unsafe to be on public display and placed into storage in 2008. Members of the Orono Historical Society decided to make it their mission to restore the monument, raising in excess of $25,000 over the years, Doucette said. They hired Peter Crockett of Argyle, an artist and pipe welder, to restore the memorial monument to its original form.