A historic monument that was vandalized in Reading three months ago is now getting statewide attention.
Brewers of Pennsylvania has vowed to restore the Frederick Lauer statue in Reading City Park to help keep his legacy alive.
The group kick-started a campaign Tuesday to preserve a piece of the city’s history.
“It’s something that we want to restore, bring back and shine a light on,” said Colin Presby, the head brewer at Golden Avalanche Brewing Company in Kutztown, which is a member of the BOP.
A few months ago, Presby approached the state’s official brewing guild to restore Lauer’s statue, and once it was vandalized in April, his vision turned into a priority.
“Instead of just a cleaning and a re-dedication, we’re now looking at bidding out and funding new plaques for the statue,” Presby said.
Vandals stole all four bronze plaques off the historic monument.
The statue was erected in 1885. Known as, ‘the pioneering Reading brewer,’ Lauer was a prominent leader in the beer industry, and he became the first president of the United States Brewers’ Association.
“He was a person who did things very well, worked very hard and was on the cutting edge of the modern brewing movement 150 years ago,” Presby said.
Now, Brewers of Pennsylvania is reaching out to the 150 breweries in the state, asking them to raise their glasses and pitch in to help restore the statue. It’s seeking donations and will collect a portion of proceeds from upcoming festivals.
On Oct. 17 at the Santander Performing Arts Center in Reading, officials will donate $10 from every festival ticket sold toward the BOP project.
Officials are still waiting to learn an exact cost of the restoration, but said they’re committed to completing the project without using public funds.
“His story really resonates with what we’re doing today, and it’s something we as an industry can identify with,” Presby said.
Officials also plan to fix the cement work and build a fence around the statue to make it harder for vandals to strike again.
A donation link has already been set up on the Brewers of Pennsylvania website.