CARMEL –The scene resembled ‘small town’ America. On the eve of the 250th anniversary of American Independence, crowds estimated at more than 300 gathered along the Hamlet of Carmel’s main thoroughfare in oppressive heat and humidity to welcome Revolutionary War heroine Sybil Ludington home.
After years of weather damage, Putnam County’s most famous monument—the 65-year-old statue of Sybil Ludington, removed in April- has been refurbished in time for the Fourth of July.
The 4,000-pound bronze statue mounted on a fieldstone pedestal had “her day in the spa,” as County Historian Jennifer Cassidy noted. Sybil was re-plated and waxed, the pedestal was rebuilt, and the historical sign was cleaned. Her iconic place now shines once again.
In 1777, Sybil Ludington rode through Putnam County atop her mount, warning the militia forces that the British army was burning Danbury. The 16-year-old daughter of Colonel Henry Ludington rode more than twice the distance of Paul Revere on her trusted horse Star.
Historian the Rev. Larry Maxwell of Patterson noted, “Sybil’s ride embraces the values expressed in our country’s founding. She represents the persistence of all Americans while embodying our values and beliefs.”
A $50,000 grant secured by State Senator Pete Harckham through the Community Resiliency, Economic, Sustainability and Technology Capital Reimbursement Program was awarded for use in the refurbishing, along with a $10,000 grant from Preserve Putnam County—the Society for the Preservation of Putnam Antiquities and Greenways. Other smaller grants and private donations also helped pay the bill.
Anna Hyatt Huntington sculpted the bronze statue in Ludington’s honor, which was dedicated in 1961. It depicts Ludington holding a stick and shouting a warning while sitting astride on her horse.
Lifelong Carmel resident Wayne Ryder, 77, recalled the day when Sybil was originally placed on her pedestal in 1961: “I was a child of 12 back then, and here I am today, standing here on the same spot 65 years later when our girl is returned. I am truly in awe.”
Cast in bronze and mounted on the fieldstone pedestal, the statue is one and one-third times life-size. Over the years, the monument was subjected to graffiti and vandalism, making cleaning and restoration essential to preserve its appearance and honor its significance.
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