Memorial park rededication marks Harrison Avenue Bridge project completion in Scranton, Pa.
Nov. 19, 2018
The Col. Frances J. Duffy Memorial Park rededication and new statue were among the final tasks of the Harrison Avenue Bridge project
On Veterans Day 2018 a rebuilt Col. Francis J. Duffy Memorial Park was rededicated in Scranton, Pa., where a recast bronze statue of the World War I “Spirit of America Doughboy” is now housed.
The doughboy was displaced when the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) started work on the Harrison Avenue Bridge. When a crew attempted to move the statue, they discovered that it had deteriorated so much that it could not be relocated to the new park.
PennDOT worked with local veteran groups in the area to fulfill their wishes to have the doughboy statue restored. Officials from PennDOT developed a plan to recast the statue in bronze and to restore the original statue which was constructed in zinc.
The new statue was incorporated into the park at the south end of bridge. The original statue was refurbished but will now be kept indoors at the Steamtown National Park in downtown Scranton.
Both the statue and park honor Lieutenant Colonel Frank J. Duffy, the highest-ranking serviceman killed during WWI and other Scrantonians lost during the conflict.
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