EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) -
A nine foot tall, 126 year old statue was moved on Tuesday from the old courthouse in Downtown Evansville to the Evansville Museum.
It's a statue of Vulcan, the Roman God of Fire and Metalworking.
The old courthouse has been Vulcan's home since 1957, but this will not be the first time Vulcan has been moved.
He originally stood on the roof of Heilman Plow Works, later known as Vulcan Plow, one of Evansville's largest manufacturing companies in the late 19th century. He moved in 1910 to the company's office building in Downtown Evansville.
Then in 1957, that building was about to be demolished and Vulcan was saved, and donated to the Old Courthouse Preservation Society.
"He was designed to be outside. But being over 100 years, so for him to be in such good shape is significant," said Tom Lonnberg the Curator of History at the Evansville Museum.
Officials are told he's being added to the museum's exhibits as an important representation of Evansville's industrial past.
"He represents a time when Evansville was building plows and stows and heavy industry was really important to our River City. So he looks at that time period and he's going to be a really good visual representation of what was an important part of Evansville's history," Lonnberg said.
It took close to ten people to dismantle the statue and move him about half a mile to the museum.
He isn't as heavy as he looks because he's hollow, but those who helped say they were concerned with how fragile he is.
"It makes your heart beat a little bit faster, but it went well so we're very pleased with that," Lonnberg said.
For now, Vulcan will rest in a safe corner of the newest wing at the Evansville Museum.
Then for all museum guests to see, "He'll be the end of the entry corridor to the history area so as you enter that area, he will be there greeting people," Lonnberg said.
Lonnberg says Vulcan will be ready for display after some cleaning and minor touch-ups. The museum expects Vulcan to be on permanent display in just a few months.
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