History returned: Stolen Revolutionary War-era artifacts on way back to Mercer Museum, other PA centers

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The long-stolen and priceless American Revolution-era Nicholson bayonet pistol is finally coming home to the Mercer Museum in Doylestown.

At the time of its disappearance, the pistol was on display in an showroom example on the third flooring of S Pine Street museum. In the 1990s, when reviewing a comprehensive inventory of the Mercer Museum's drove, the pistol could not be located and was officially recorded equally "missing."

The pistol, along with several other stolen artifacts, are being returned to area museums equally part of a rare-particular repatriation program steered by the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia.

"Nosotros are delighted to take this object coming back to us. As with many institutions and local historical societies like ours, there are frequently a number of historical objects that we cannot completely account for, and this was one of them," said Mercer Museum Vice President Cory Amsler, noting that the museum as commencement contacted by the Upper Merion Police Department near the object.

"I accept been at the museum for nearly 33 years, and in that fourth dimension, there have been a number of objects that have come up publicly at auction or offered for sale by a dealer that we were able to trace back to, if not a theft, then certainly to the fact that it went missing without an explanation."

The 100-year-one-time Mercer Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate, is housed in a half dozen-story reinforced concrete castle designed by Henry Mercer.

Originally caused by the Bucks County Historical Society in 1906, the pistol was among items donated to the museum every bit belonging to General Augustine Willet by his great-granddaughter, Mrs. Allburger. Willet served as a captain of militia at the onset of the American Revolution, later on being promoted to a major and lieutenant colonel.

The Nicholson bayonet pistol was crafted in Corn Hill, London in the 18th century.

Thomas Gavin, who was convicted of stealing the artifacts in the 1960s and 1970s, was recently sentenced to one day in prison and various fines.

These revolvers are being repatriated to the Landis Valley Museum.
These revolvers are being repatriated to the Landis Valley Museum.

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Earlier information technology is returned to the Mercer Museum, Amsler said, the pistol volition require some conservation and a valuation performed by a conservator. Amsler said this pistol will ultimately exist featured in a Revolutionary War display at the museum.

This pistol is 1 of several items Mercer Museum was able to reclaim over the years, Amsler said.

"We have been able to, over these past few decades, render a few items to the museum's collection, ranging from a Pennsylvania German-decorated manuscript to a pair of epaulets that belonged to a item officeholder," Amsler said. "So to detect that this particular object had been stolen and this item investigation had been going on wasn't a surprise. Information technology was a delightful and serendipitous discovery."

The rare artifact is among several items that are now being returned to surface area museums later a multi-jurisdictional search involving the FBI's Art Criminal offense division, the Us Attorney'southward Office of the Eastern Commune of Pennsylvania and the Upper Merion Township Police Department.

The search spanned several decades and included numerous dead ends.

Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division, speaking during stolen artifact repatriation event at the Museum of the American Revolution.
Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division, speaking during stolen antiquity repatriation result at the Museum of the American Revolution.
Stolen Revolutionary War-era Nicholson/Cornhill London pistol, now returned to the Mercer Museum as part of repatriation program.
Stolen Revolutionary State of war-era Nicholson/Cornhill London pistol, now returned to the Mercer Museum as role of repatriation program.

Along with the Mercer Museum, the American Swedish Historical Museum, Hershey Story Museum, Landis Valley Museum in Lancaster County, Museum of the American Revolution and York County History Center all received a full of 15 items.

The York County History Center will receive three items: a 5-foot Kentucky Rifle with a Golcher Lock from the 1830's, a .58-caliber flintlock pistol that belonged to John Joseph Henry and a .lxx-quotient European flintlock pistol.

York County History Eye Director of Collections Rachel Warner said the return and preservation of these items is paramount to the centers cause.

"Nosotros are very glad these items take been returned," Warner said. "We serve as custodians to preserve this history for futurity generations."

All three items were stolen from the center in 1978.

R. Scott Stephenson, president and CEO of the Museum of the American Revolution, said it is "incredibly significant and heady for united states to be joined by all of these local institutions today and to meet them reunited" with objects that accept been missing for one-half a century.

"Our collections are used every bit tools to appoint our audiences in an appreciation of history and to reinvigorate their civic commitment — information technology's the foundation of all of our missions," Stephenson said. "We are incredibly grateful to the FBI and law enforcement for their tireless piece of work to bring these items domicile."

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Through the repatriation, the Museum of the American Revolution received a French gendarmerie flintlock pistol and a pair of Ward & Steele Queen Anne flintlock pistols, which were stolen in 1970, and a French Model 1777 Charleville pistol, which was stolen in 1972.

The items were stolen from the Valley Forge Historical Guild, which transferred its distinguished drove to the museum in 2003.

Mercer Museum Vice President Cory Amsler, 4th-left, and Mercer Museum Executive Director Kyle McCoy, 3rd-right, with members of the Philadelphia FBI's office and staff of the Museum of the American Revolution.
Mercer Museum Vice President Cory Amsler, 4th-left, and Mercer Museum Executive Director Kyle McCoy, third-right, with members of the Philadelphia FBI'due south office and staff of the Museum of the American Revolution.

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"In police force enforcement, as in whatever profession, there are proficient days and bad days. Today, continuing hither along with our partners, is one of those good days," said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division. "The absence of the items from these museums represented not only a concrete or fiscal loss, but a loss to every visitor, every student, and every researcher who didn't become to see the items over the years and missed out on important pieces of our nation's heritage.

"The absence of these items was, for so long, a loss to the historical record," Maquire added. "The FBI is honored to have helped correct that loss and render these artifacts to the institutions from which they were stolen then long ago."

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Stolen Revolutionary War artifacts returned to Mercer Museum, PA centers