By Jason Klaiber
Staff Writer
On the Fourth of July, the Manlius Historical Museum unveiled an exhibit showcasing a historic weather vane.
The 200-year-old weather vane resembling a trumpet-playing seraph sat atop the steeple spire of the original Trinity Presbyterian Church, a house of worship once situated at the corner of Washington and East Seneca Streets in Manlius.
The church had been torn down in 1940, and the weather vane later graced the roof of the village hall constructed on the location the following year.
When King & King Architects remodeled the village hall in the mid 1980s, a replica of the ornament came into use.
The authentic weather vane, christened with the name “Gabriel,” had been stored away over the years in the basement of the museum’s accompanying Cheney House, where research is completed and records are kept.
The Cheney House had been dedicated by the namesake family—who ran the town iron foundry—on July 4, 1976, the date recognized as the United States bicentennial.
Exposed to wear and tear from wind, rain and hail, Gabriel partially rusted with time and suffered the loss of an appendage or two.
“If you were 200 years old, you’d probably be losing a foot too, and an armpit,” Linda Limpert, the vice president of the Manlius Historical Society’s board of directors, said.
Retrieved from the collection early last week and transported to the museum with the help of town officials, the weather vane now lies under plexiglass for visitors to see.
Linda Bailey, the museum’s administrative director, said many other centuries-old weather vanes have been stolen or sold to collectors.
“They’re worth a fortune,” Bailey said. “We’re lucky we even have one.”
The Manlius Historical Museum on 101 Scoville Ave. will be open to the public on Saturdays through the summer from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Entrance is free.
