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A portion of the William Floyd statue, the centerpiece of a veterans memorial plaza at the intersection of William Floyd Parkway and Montauk Highway in Shirley, broke off sometime last night, according to its caretakers.
Pieces of the statue’s ledge were strewn on the floor Tuesday, but it isn’t clear if the damage was the result of recent foul play or the after-effects of damage caused after a Santa Claus costume was put on the statue this past winter, said Beth Wahl, president of the William Floyd Community Summit, which upkeeps the plaza.
“We think that some people thought it would be funny to put a Santa costume on the statue of William Floyd,” Wahl said, adding that the base was weakened as a result.
As to the recent damage, “We’re not sure whether it was just eroded and happened on its own.”
In addition to the front part of the ledge, the right side ledge has a piece missing, which Wahl believes was the result of a blunt hit from a hammer or something similar.
The Summit sent pictures to Suffolk Legis. Rudy Sunderman and hopes that the county, which owns the corner, will repair the base, Wahl said.
A Suffolk County police spokeswoman said no report was filed regarding the incident.
Going forward, Wahl said she’s going to request that the county install lights to shine on the statue at night.
“It would be nice to see that statue, and right now you can’t you can’t see it.”
