Vandalized Danvers Eagle Restored, Returned To Rail Trail

DANVERS, MA — A hand-carved wooden eagle that bore the damage from a likely case of vandalism has been repaired and returned to the Danvers Rail Trail.

Rick Burwen, a neighbor to the Rail Trail, said he noticed the damage to the eagle and upon posting about it on social media received offers from other concerned area residents to restore it from the damage.

"I saw this only in the last year and foresaw its eventual end," Burwen said in sharing his and the eagle's story with Patch. "It came crashing down in a single day broken into pieces likely smashed by vandals. After posting this tragedy this moved a lot of people.

"A group of three of us who had never met each other formed a remarkable team that restored it to a remarkable pristine state and in better condition than when I saw it."

The eagle was returned to the rail trail this past weekend when the person who originally placed it there, Dan Maleck, came down to greet those who helped fix it. Burwen told Patch that the wife of the sculptor, who has since passed away, gave Maleck the eagle and he chose to place it at the rail trail so thousands of walkers and hikers could enjoy each year.

But, he said, the sculpture has been a frequent target of vandalism.

"None of us will be able to prevent it being broken again if vandals so choose," Burwen said. "So we will hope for the best and that no one is intent on its destruction."

Burwen, a skilled artist and retired electrical engineer, teamed with Tim von Jess, of Ipswich, and Paul Campagna, of Salem, on the restoration project. Burwen said von Jess set the eagle back on its roost while Campagna, a U.S. Navy veteran with more than 40 years of carpentry experience, was able to carve a new beak for the eagle to replace the one that had been broken and cut out a circular base for the sculpture.

"A lot of love and care went into its restoration," Burwen said. "It has already shown a good deal of the effects of it being out in the weather. What was rotted has been removed and replaced with wood putty.

"The beak of the eagle had already been broken off before I first set eyes on it one year ago. It has been sealed with a very expensive marine sealer for wooden boats. Each of the team members put their own assets into it."

While Burwen told Patch he is concerned someone may try to damage the eagle again, he said that the support he received online and from von Jess and Campagna to fix it "convinced me there is a lot of good in people."

"The three of us have restored the eagle to pristine condition," he said. "I would go on to say it is now in even finer condition than ever."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)