Missing Hudson Valley Statue Suddenly Appears in New Location

A historic statue that disappeared over the summer has resurfaced in an entirely different location.

While we didn't exactly solve the mystery of the missing monument, we are happy to report that a local landmark has safely reappeared after four long months.

Drivers who frequent the Beacon, New York area noticed in July that the large statue of George Washington had suddenly gone missing. The landmark was removed ahead of a rehab project at the intersection of Teller and Wolcott Avenues.

The statue sat on a small island in the middle of the street, which made navigating the "T" intersection a challenge. In order to make the area safer for drivers and pedestrians, the City of Beacon decided to reconfigure the intersection and move the statue to a new location on the North side of Teller Avenue.

Plans released by the City of Beacon show the changes to the roadway and a new resting place for the statue.

This week, the statue was finally brought out of storage and installed in a new, park-like area with landscaping and sidewalks. George Washington now overlooks the intersection he used to be sitting in the middle of.

If the intersection at Teller and Wolcott can be made safer while still preserving the history of the George Washington statue, it begs the question of why something can't be done about Beacon's notorious dummy light. The ancient traffic signal sits on a huge block of concrete blocking traffic between Main and East Main Street. The light has been the cause of numerous accidents, leading many people to wonder whether it should be moved.

Perhaps the successful repositioning of the George Washington statue will convince skeptics that the historic light can relocated while still preserving its history.