This year, not even the most skillful scout will be able to find it.
The famous Lititz lion, which peered out of its limestone niche in the back of Lititz Springs Park for over 148 years, was pulverized by vandals last weekend.
“It was a Lititz icon, a symbol of the park,” said R. Ronald Reedy, borough historian. “You can’t replace these kinds of things.”
Park superintendent Jerry McKonly noticed something different about the limestone outcropping that bore the lionÂ’s head on Monday, but nasty weather kept park workers from closely inspecting it until Tuesday.
When they did, they found the lionÂ’s features completely defaced. Now, only the mane and a vague facial outline remain.
“Lititz is a town that takes a lot of pride in its history and to have something of historical value like this and find that someone — for no known reason — senselessly trashes it, it’s disgusting,” McKonly said.
Officials are considering offering a reward for information on who is responsible for the vandalism.
Bob Bergner, president of the Lititz Springs Park Board, said police today asked if the park board would match a $500 reward the Lititz Police Department may offer.
The parkÂ’s board of supervisors has no budget for a reward, but Bergner said members would probably solicit donations.
Police Det. John Schofield said that if found, the vandals could be charged with “desecration of venerated objects.”
That is a second-degree misdemeanor, and carries a maximum penalty of two years in jail and a $5,000 fine, Schofield said.
As of this morning, police had not named any suspects.
“We’re hoping someone talked about it,” Schofield said. “Our break is going to come from the public. If someone was with a group of people, or someone saw something, we’re hoping they realize how important that statue is and what they’ve done.”
The lionÂ’s head was carved in 1857, when J. Augustus Beck, son of the famous schoolmaster John Beck, sculpted it from a natural limestone outcropping.
The 26-year old artistÂ’s original plans included the entire lionÂ’s body, but he quit after the hard limestone kept breaking his chisels, said Reedy.
Beck, who became a painter and a sculptor of national renown, later contributed his artistry to the White House and Washington Monument.
Over the years, the lionÂ’s visage became a familiar part of park history, thrilling countless children and even a former secretary of state, William Jennings Bryan.
“Every student that goes through elementary school in Lititz knows the story of that sculpture and the value of it for the community,” Bergner said.
Each spring, fourth graders at John A. Beck elementary school — named after the sculptor’s schoolmaster father — study the history of Lititz. The lion statue “is an important part of that history,” said principal Joe Narkiewicz.
The statute held appeal for older Lititz residents, too.
Mark Hough, former president of the Lititz Lions, a civic organization, said “it would be hard not to notice that the statue is missing. It’s part of what made the park so special.”
A facsimile of the statue, made in 1957, sits in a fountain at the front of the park.
Reedy said that modern technology, and three dimensional photographs could help in restoring the pulverized statue.
“I’m pretty sure it can be done that way, and I’m highly in favor of it,” he said.
