Nearly 100-year-old Abraham Lincoln statue in Liverpool Township gets repairs

LIVERPOOL TWP. — The concrete statue of Abraham Lincoln in front of Liverpool Township's Depot Museum was restored by local companies last week. The statue was created on June 17, 1926. Member of the Liverpool Township Historical Society Rod Knight said the creator of this statue also made other concrete statues of animals and people. Over time, the other statues started disappearing or became vandalized, but the Lincoln statue was moved to its current location in 1976. "Somehow old Abe, as I affectionately call him, survived and ended up going (to) our depot," Knight said. The statue is important because it celebrates the history of the township and the country, Knight said. Although it was not vandalized, it was worn down after almost 100 years of being exposed to the elements. "Well, I would be surprised if the original owner ever thought about it lasting 100 years," Knight said. The idea to repair the statue came from Knight's active role in the Liverpool Historical Society. "Every time I go to the depot, I look at old Abe, and we all recognize that he's deteriorating," he said. "Nobody knew what to do about it." During the Valley City Frog Jump last summer, Knight began networking to find someone who could fix the statue. He met with individuals from Mack Concrete who added another company, Euclid Chemical, to the project. Last fall, these companies met with the township to assess the repairs needed. The project was ultimately moved to this spring because of bad weather. "We've got this unique statue there that is in need of some repair," Knight said. "Do we let it continue to go downhill and eventually get put in a scrap heap? Not on my watch." This June, the companies worked to make repairs and put coats of protective sealant on the statue over the course of several days. The project was officially completed on June 21. Knight said he hopes the Lincoln statue will last another 100 years. "I'm pleased as punch that we got it done and got it done with quality," he said. "I've received a fair number of very positive feedback, so I'm not alone." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.