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McCarren Pool's Bronze Eagles Return After One Set Was Stolen in 1980's

By Meredith Hoffman | June 22, 2012 2:30pm | Updated on June 22, 2012 3:10pm

WILLIAMSBURG — McCarren Pool's swimmers are almost back — and eight shiny birds are waiting to greet them.

Nearly 30 years after McCarren Pool's bronze eagles were removed from the park, they have returned to their perches circling two pillars at the renovated pool's entrance, where the public can come to splash starting next Thursday.

The historic sculptures were first installed in 1936, Parks Department spokeswoman Meghan Lalor said — but after one set was stolen in the summer of 1984 (and found two days later), the whole flock was taken to storage.

In 2006, Lalor continued, the public got to peer at the creatures again at Parks Department headquarters in Central Park — but in 2011 the eagles once again went into hibernation.

"Then, conservators performed mechanical repairs, realigned the eagles, conducted additional surface cleaning, fully recoated the artworks, and inserted an additional internal security armature," she said.

And now the shiny fowls are back where they started — just in time for the 37,950-foot pool's waters to welcome 1,5000 swimmers at a time.