A Striking Image: Civil War Monument Hit by Lightning

A statue that's been a part of Phoenixville since the 1870s is now heavily damaged following an apparent lightning strike. 

The Civil War memorial, located in Morris Cemetery, was likely hit by lightning early Wednesday morning. Jack Ertell, of The Historical Society of the Phoenixville Area, was out snapping photos of the crumbled statue Thursday afternoon. 

"This is a real shame," Ertell said. "This is a historical treasure in Phoenixville."

As of the afternoon of Sept. 29, the head of the statue was missing. Bits of the statue were spread all around on the ground. The force of the strike knocked part of the pedestal out from under the soldier, sending it careening to the ground, where it created a crater in the muddy soil.

The soldier is still perched precariously atop the statue, and his legs are still attached to the base, though not to his body. Flip through the photo gallery above to get a look at how the statue looked before.

Following the Civil War, a committee was formed under Col. John R. Dobson to get the funding together to erect the memorial, which stands in the center of the cemetery. Dobson's grave is very close to the statue, and his gravestone was also toppled over. 

Ertell said Phoenixville had a lot of men in the Civil War, and had a very high per capita enlistment rate. At one point, there were more than 600 members in a veteran association in Phoenixville. 

He added that many Civil War veterans are buried near where the statue stands. Originally, the plan was to put the memorial at Hall and Main streets downtown, but that fell through and the statue was erected in Morris Cemetery. 

Peering into the clouds at the statue on Thursday afternoon, Ertell said if a cherry picker came in to remove the big piece of the soldier, there's a chance the statue could be saved. He added that the statue is the property of the cemetery. 

Ertell noted that it needed some work even before the lightning struck. 

"It had been in bad shape," Ertell said. "There were some cracks in it already." 

As he straightened flags and picked up the shards of the statue scattered about, Ertell said he hopes the statue can be restored, somehow. 

"It's a historical treasure that a lot of people in the community aren't aware of," Ertell said. 

Editor's Note: This article has been changed to reflect the fact that the head of the statue may still be intact. Though it appeared to have been destroyed, Patch later received word that it was removed from the site but in one piece.