Hartford commission seeks input into future of newly recovered weather vane

HARTFORD — The Historic Preservation Commission is seeking public input on what to do with a newly recovered railroad depot weather vane that will soon make its home in White River Junction after a more than 40-year absence.

The commission has scheduled a meeting in the Hartford Town Hall and on Zoom at 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday to discuss the matter. The agenda and Zoom link may be found on the town website, hartford-vt.org.

Stolen from atop the train depot in 1982 in a still-unsolved caper, the antique copper weather vane weighs nearly 100 pounds and depicts a steam engine pulling a coal tender.

It was recovered in May when it turned up for sale and Sotheby’s auction house determined it was a stolen artwork. It was returned to the State of Vermont, which now owns the White River Junction depot, and spent the summer on display at the Shelburne Museum.

It now falls to Hartford residents to decide how and where to display the piece of White River Junction history.

Those who cannot participate in Wednesday’s meeting may submit suggestions to Town Planner Matt Osborn at mosborn@hartford-vt.org or 802-478-1118.