By Nancy Burgess

On June 5, 1905, an elk statue was mounted on the roof of the new Elks Opera House on Gurley Street. It remained there until 1971 when the Elks Club moved out of Prescott and took the elk with them to their new headquarters in Prescott Valley. In 2006, the elk, then known as "Bill," was in dire need of repair and negotiations were made to have it restored to its original splendor and returned to the roof of the Elk’s Opera House. The job of restoration was not an easy one.

The manufacturing process for statuary used by the W. H. Mullins Art Metal Works Company in Salem, Ohio where "Bill" was created is known as hot stamping. It involved modeling a figure in clay, then producing plaster casts of the artwork. Some of these clay models were more than 50 feet tall. Once the clay model was completed to the sculptor’s satisfaction, the plaster casts were made. From the plaster casts, dies were manufactured for the hot stampings of the sheet metal that would make up the components of the statue. The bottom die was made of zinc. The upper die was made of lead and was used as a drop hammer to shape the metal into the lower die. The sheets of copper or bronze were heated and then placed into the bottom die on large presses and smashed into shape between the dies. This process was very skilled work. The production of a perfect hot-stamped part was crucial to the assembly of the statue and was a tribute to the workman’s skill. The metal pieces were processed through several hardening and annealing processes and were then assembled and soldered. Once the seams were smoothed, the joints were almost invisible. This process for creating a three-dimensional sculpture could be completed in about four weeks and resulted in a much lighter, less expensive product compared to sculpting in carved stone or cast bronze. Most sculptures were made to order and multiples could be made of the same statue by reusing the dies.

One of the W. H. Mullins Art Metal Works advertisements from the turn of the 20th century is directed toward fraternal organizations, particularly the B.P.O.E. Elks clubs, and shows an illustration of a "Life Size Statue Elk in Sheet Copper for Elks’ Rest Monuments and Front of Lodge Buildings." The elk in the illustration on the advertisement is exactly the same style and profile as the Prescott elk.

Once "Bill" was taken down from the Elks Club in Prescott Valley in October of 2006, the transformation began. Under the guidance of the City of Prescott, numerous members of the greater Prescott community offered their services and expertise to bring "Bill" back to the Elks Opera House. The restoration of the elk was a challenge to the owners and staff of The Bronzesmith in Prescott Valley, since they are accustomed to working with cast bronze rather than hot-stamped sheet copper. After formulating a rehabilitation plan, some major surgery was performed in order to reattach the antlers. Most the various layers of paint, which had been applied over 100 years, were removed, including aluminum roofing paint which may have led to the local opinion that the elk was made of aluminum. Repairs were made to all of the seams and breaks and the finish was restored. "Bill’s" sculptor, the late John Segesman, would be proud to know the results of the restoration and that his work has survived for 106 years.

On December 6, 2006 "Bill" came back to Prescott on a flatbed truck and then ‘flew’, with the assistance of a crane from A & B Sign Company of Prescott, back to the roof of the Elks Opera House. His flight was slow and practically straight up, but the members of the community who came to watch the elk in flight were thrilled to see him flying back to his traditional spot on the roof of the Elks Opera House. Once on the roof, he was reinstalled on the same platform where he originally stood from 1905 until 1971. "Bill," the elk, again has become a landmark of downtown Prescott. His profile is visible from many vantage points and he will, hopefully, continue to stand watch over the Elks Opera House and downtown Prescott forever.

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(courtesy Elks photo) Reuse only by permission.
In October 2006, the elk was removed from the Prescott Valley Elk’s building for much needed repairs. It was returned ‘home’ to the roof of the Elks Opera House in December.

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(courtesy Nancy Burgess) Reuse only by permission.
The elk, repaired and restored, is hoisted to his original location atop the Elk’s Opera House on December 6, 2006.

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(courtesy Nancy Burgess) Reuse only by permission.
December 2006, "Bill" is ready for his first Christmas season back in Prescott.