Renovated Landmark to Be Honored in Near Future
While the iconic statue perched at the foot of the Hicksville train station continues to be restored, a re-dedication ceremony for the famous bird is planned once the final touches are applied.
Sculptor Vaja Gabashville, who works for Steve Tatti, head of the sculpting team, recently performed grinding work on the new beak for the eagle. The grinding and shaping work took approximately two days to finish. After the beak is fully shaped, the stone is to be finished to match that of the eagle.
Draped in ceremonial Roman garb, the eagle was originally celebrated with a dedication ceremony on May 15, 1965. As previously noted in the Hicksville Illustrated News, the eagle arrived at the train station thanks to Hicksville High School Latin teacher Samuel A. Goldberg, who requested one for the town when the eagles became available. The Hicksville High School Latin Club wrote the inscription that rests below the eagle, which reads, “A Roman eagle once urban is now in Hicksville quite suburban.”
Designed in 1910 by sculptor Adolph A. Weinman, the eagle was one of 22 eagles that graced the original Pennsylvania Station in New York City before the station was demolished to build the current Madison Square Garden. Each weighed 5,700 pounds and only 18 of the 22 that were produced are known to have survived.
Under County Executive Edward Mangano’s direction and using funds from the county’s hotel/motel tax, Nassau contributed $2,500 toward the restoration project.
