Vermont AOT photo of locomotive weathervane stolen in 1983.
Vermont Business Magazine An antique copper weathervane that was stolen from the White River Junction railway station 40 years ago is now back in Vermont thanks to an effort to identify and return it.
The 1910 weathervane, which depicts a steam locomotive and coal tender, perched on the White River Junction Station in Hartford until its theft on November 3, 1983. Theft of weathervanes was very common, as they are outside and easy to remove since they sit on a spindle to enable them to move in the wind.
Nearly forty years after the theft, the weathervane was consigned to a New York auction house. An organization called the Art Loss Register (ALR) serves auction houses around the world by checking each item in a database to determine whether it was stolen. When the ALR confirmed that the Vermont weathervane was a match for the stolen item, the auction house withdrew it from sale.
The State of Vermont now owns the White River Junction station, and the ALR, which provided their services on a pro bono basis, partnered with the Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) to return the weathervane last week.
“We are delighted to see this valuable historic artifact and beautiful piece of art returned to its home here in Vermont,” said Judith Ehrlich, AOT’s Historic Preservation Officer. “We are working with the Vermont State Curator to select a great location for the weathervane so that it may be enjoyed once more.”
The weathervane was produced by W.A. Snow Iron Works Inc. and was returned by a generous donor to the State of Vermont. Sotheby’s covered the $2,300 cost to ship it safely home.
The best record of the weathervane before its loss was a black and white photograph taken when it was above the Amtrak station in White River Junction. The ALR confirmed that the weathervane offered for sale was indeed the stolen weathervane by comparing the patinated exterior caused by weathering on the side of the coal tender and the engine of the train.
Sotheby's described it as a "PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF MARTIN SHACK. Molded and Gilded Copper Locomotive Weathervane, W.A. Snow Iron Works, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, Circa 1910."
To view images of the weathervane, see the original auction listing: https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/important-americana-furniture-silver-prints-manuscripts-chinese-export-and-porcelain/molded-and-gilded-copper-locomotive-weathervane-w.
Source: 5.13.2024. Vermont Agency of Transportation. Barre, vtrans.vermont.gov
To support great journalism, access our archives and get unique features like our award-winning profiles, subscribe HERE!
