The statue of a former Muncie businessman is coming home next month, after spending possibly more than 50 years as a nameless limestone face in Tennessee.  IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann reports.

The Willard Statue’s original alcove on a Muncie building at Main and Walnut Streets. (Photo: Ball State University Libraries Archives and Special Collections

The eight-foot statue of Charles Willard, a Muncie merchant and real estate owner during the 1830’s and 40’s, used to stand in an alcove high up on a building built by and named for his family.   That is, until the Willard Building was torn down in the 1960’s.

Chris Flook is the president of the Delaware County Historical Society.  As for how the statue got to Tennessee –

“No, no one has any idea.  So, the story goes, in the 60’s when the building was torn down, the statue went to the backyard of the guy who was part of the demolition.  And from there, just whoosh – disappears.”

A former president of Muncie’s Ball Stores originally spotted the Willard statue at a Tennessee antique market in the 1980’s but couldn’t convince the owner to sell.

At some point, it moved to the courtyard of the Chattanooga Choo Choo, a museum and hotel made from an old train depot.  That’s where Robert Good of Muncie tracked Willard down – standing jauntily, one hand on a lapel, the other resting on a limestone “tree stump.”

Next up – the statue’s trip home, next week, transported by a construction company in a special crate.

“Once they realized it was not Jefferson Davis or some other Confederate guy, it was pretty easy and they were very great about trying to make sure it that it goes where it belongs.”

Flook says the 1,600-pound Willard statue will stand between two buildings owned by the historical society in Muncie.  He says a welcome home unveiling is planned for the city’s October ArtsWalk.