John Henry Statue in Talcott to be Repaired, Relocated - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

John Henry Statue in Talcott to be Repaired, Relocated

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The statue of American folk legend John Henry, which has stood at the overlook above the Great Bend Tunnel in Talcott, Summers County, since December 1972 will soon find a new home.

On Wednesday, April 25, at approximately 1 p.m., workers with Union Concrete will be removing the statue from its pedestal, loading it onto a trailer and moving it to a local resident's workshop, where the statue will undergo repairs.

The eight foot tall statue was commissioned by the Hilldale/Talcott Ruritan club and sculpted by Charles O. Cooper of Williamstown, Michigan. It is cast in 3/8 inch thick bronze and weighs approximately 2.5 tons.

Once repairs are complete, the statue will be relocated to its new home at the John Henry Historical park, off of Route 3 in Summers County. The relocation of the statue is one of the final tasks of Phase 1 of the park's construction, which also included building an entrance road and parking lot.