Decorative trim from Longfellow is missing
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A large quantity of historically valuable cast-iron decorative trim for the Longfellow Bridge is missing from the state maintenance yard where it was being stored during bridge repairs, officials from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation said yesterday.
About 2,347 linear feet of the trim had disappeared from Stoneham Labor Yard when officials noticed Tuesday. The agency has asked State Police and the district attorney's office to investigate.
The 350-pound pieces could not have been taken by just one individual, Richard K. Sullivan Jr., DCR commissioner, said last night in a phone interview.
The department is "taking this very seriously, and frankly, we're extremely disturbed," Sullivan said.
He also urged anyone with information to come forward. He said other maintenance yards were being reviewed to ensure that other items are secure.
Between Sept. 20 and Oct. 9, about 3,647 linear feet of the decorative trim were removed from the outside edge of the bridge to make way for repairs. Sullivan said that there was no set date for the trim's replacement but that the state planned to refurbish it as part of the rehabilitation of the entire bridge.
"It wouldn't have gone back on for a number of years but it was carefully removed, and we planned for it to go back, so hopefully it will be returned," Sullivan said.
Sections that were 7 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 3.8 inches thick were placed onto trucks and stacked in piles of 13 or 14 at the maintenance yard. As recently as three weeks ago, all the sections appeared to be there. The labor yard does not have a permanent security guard, but Sullivan said it is surrounded by a fence.
Sullivan said that while an investigation is underway, the department is treating the missing trim as a theft. He said the DCR has not discussed an alternate plan for replacing the pieces.
The trim was molded and cast 100 years ago, specifically to decorate the Longfellow, according to the DCR. If melted down and resold as cast iron, the missing sections would be worth about $10,000. Re-creating the sections could cost upwards of $750,000.
"It has more historic value to the department than the monetary value of any scrap metal," Sullivan said.
