by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Andrew Jackson earned the nickname “Old Hickory” because he was a fierce warrior who never gave up the fight. The statue of Jacksonville’s namesake continued that tradition Saturday when a crew of workers from Pedroni Cast Stone & Precast Solutions took on the task of moving the statue of Jackson astride his horse.
Expected to take about six hours to excavate the concrete around the base of the statue and free it, the statue finally arrived at at its new home a block away at the Laura Street roundabout about 5:30 p.m. after reinforcements were called in to complete the job.
“He whipped the British at the Battle of New Orleans and he’s the only president who was ever in a duel,” said Ron Barton, Jacksonville Economic Development Commission executive director and a military historian. Barton watched the move.
Craig Pedroni, owner of the company contracted for the relocation, said he consulted with the foundry that cast the 2,800-pound piece of bronze. After workers excavated the concrete around the statue’s base, they discovered the information from the foundry wasn’t accurate.
There was a much more sturdy design to hold the statue in place than they had been led to believe.
After several hours toiling with jackhammers, chisels and conventional cutting tools, a call was made to bring in a plasma torch. After about half an hour, workers were able to sever the stainless steel and concrete supports and released the statue from where it had been for 23 years.
After that it was a short trip down Independent Drive where the statue was placed on its new 50,000-pound concrete base.
“Every job is different,” said Pedroni.
The City plans to demolish the old statue base at the Landing and plant grass to create a berm that could be used for watching fireworks, said Paul Crawford, deputy executive director of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission and the project manager for the Laura Street improvement.
He also said the statue should now be refurbished, including cleaning and polishing the bronze and repairing damage to the bridle and the chain on Maj. Gen. Jackson’s saber.
A retailer at the Landing, the Adams Class Naval Ship Museum, has another idea for the statue’s former site.
Museum spokesperson Wayne Misenar said the museum has in storage a Mark 13 Tartar guided missile launcher of the type used on the Adams-class destroyers. He thinks it would be an attraction for both tourists and locals if it took the place of the statue on the old concrete base at the foot of Hogan Street.
“And the kids would love it,” added Misenar.
A plasma torch had to be used to free the statue from its base.
The statue left its home of 23 years at the Landing about 5:10 p.m.
The relocation was witnessed by Jacksonville Economic Development Commission Executive Director Ron Barton, Deputy Executive Director Paul Crawford and Mayor John Peyton.
The statue was carried along Independent Drive to its new site.
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