From the Executive Director

Yesterday, I attended a birthday party for a very special deer — the Court House Deer — who makes his home outside the Luzerne County Courthouse in Wilkes-Barre.

This statue, which just celebrated its 158th birthday, was recently conserved through funding in part by a Keystone Historic Preservation grant from the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. It is very different from most of our Keystone projects, as it is not directed toward a building. Nevertheless, our mission is to help communities thrive through their connections to history, and the Court House Deer is a beloved public figure in the Wyoming Valley and a vibrant part of the history and traditions of its residents.

This very special deer was not always very special; he began his life as Design Number 477 in the foundry of Robert Wood & Co. in Philadelphia. Established in 1838, the company became the largest and most successful cast ironworks in the city, perhaps most renowned for its railings but also known for its beautiful and lifelike cast-iron decorative sculptures — especially animals.

The ironworks won a commission in Wilkes-Barre to construct a fence to keep stray cows and other animals from trampling the lawn and entrance walks of the city’s Public Square near the courthouse. The deer was “thrown in” as a bonus and installed in 1866. He was later moved in 1909 to the grounds of the new county courthouse along the River Common.

As a standard design, No. 477 has several brothers out there. One appears to be located at the Asa Packer Mansion in Jim Thorpe, Carbon County, and another in the courtyard of the Roberson Museum and Science Center in Binghamton, New York. Others have periodically come up for auction.

So what makes this Number 477 special? Of course, he has identifying scars that distinguish him from his brothers — antlers have been lost and replaced, feet broken and repaired. But it is more than these physical differences that set him apart.

Public artworks are important not only as art but also as shared history to be enjoyed by all. Outdoor sculptures are often highly visible focal points, local landmarks, and places of gathering. They can foster a feeling of a healthy, vibrant community by marking the spirit of individuals, groups and places, inspiring and unifying people.

This is what the Court House Deer has done throughout his existence. Generations of Wyoming Valley children have posed with him. He has been a participant in weddings and birthdays. He has served as an ambassador for the valley through his presence in postcards and tourist holiday photographs. He even has been featured holding “conversations” with local newspaper reporters. In short, he has been a touchstone for Wyoming Valley residents and visitors for the last century and a half.

The Court House Deer is not a bystander but an active participant in the area’s public life. Civic well-being is best cultivated at the local level, and the deer has been central to that development. PHMC is proud to have helped support his restoration and extend his life as an emblem of community pride.

Andrea Lowery
Executive Director, PHMC