William Penn plaque again stolen in Chester

Less than five months after the dedication in Chester of a bronze plaque - itself a replacement for a historic marker that had been stolen - the plaque has been swiped again.

The large bronze bas-relief that commemorates William Penn's landing in 1682 is missing from the brick monument at Second and Penn Streets.

Also missing is an adjacent bronze marker that commemorates the Essex House, a home where Penn spent his first night after stepping off the ship Welcome.

"I never dreamed we'd have to go through this again," Carol Fireng, vice chair of the Chester Historical Preservation Committee, said yesterday.

Fireng discovered the missing plaques Thursday while conducting a tour of Chester's historic district, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Fireng immediately notified police and the mayor's office.

The Penn plaque, divided into three sections, depicts Penn's landing, and includes a quote from Penn and a map of the area. The plaque is 20 inches high, 40 inches long, and about two inches thick. It weighs about 150 pounds, said sculptor Mark Lyon, who created the plaque.

Lyon is an artist at Laran Bronze Inc. in Chester. The foundry has cast sculptures for the National World War II Memorial in Washington as well as statues of Phillies players at Citizens Bank Park and former Mayor Frank L. Rizzo at the Municipal Services Building.

"I can't believe they got it out, because we used heavy stainless-steel rods that we inserted into the brick walls, and epoxy," said Larry Welker, co-owner of Laran Bronze.

It was only last October that Fireng and 25 celebrants gathered in the rain to celebrate the dedication of the replacement plaque. The original marker was stolen in 2006. It had been dedicated in 1976.

The preservation committee worked with a subcommittee of the Heritage Commission of Delaware County to replace the plaque.

"It took us four years and $17,300," said Mervyn Harris, vice chair of the Heritage Commission of Delaware County.

Funding came from donations and foundation grants. About $300 is still owed on the bill, Fireng said.

Police inspected the site yesterday to confirm that the plaques were missing, Deputy Chief Darren Alston said. The culprits likely took the markers for the value of the bronze, Alston said. The police investigation will include visiting area scrapyards, he said.

The historic commissions are not sure how they will proceed, Fireng said. They have not yet met to discuss the theft.

One suggestion is to use the mold and re-create the plaque with some less expensive substance such as plastic, Harris said.

"But that wouldn't look very nice," Harris added.