Craig Buckley of Karkadoulias Bronze Art motions the crane operator during the removal of the Shepard Statue on Monday. (Photo:Rony Camille/Echo Assistant Editor)

The statue of Dr. James E. Shepard has been watching over N.C. Central University from the Hoey Administration circle for nearly 48 years. But now it’s gone to Ohio.

It will return in June 2006 fully restored and refurbished.

NCCU officials have hired Mercene Karkadou-lias, of Karkadoulias Bronze Art, a firm based in Cincinnati, to remove, restore and reinstall the Shepard statue.

On Monday afternoon on-lookers watched workers remove the statue.

“All the foundry defects will be taken care of and corrected nothing will be detoriating on the inside,” said Karkadoulias. Over the years the monument has been covered by patina, a thin greenish layer that forms on copper such as bronze, as a result of corrosion.

Additionally, the inside of the statute is deteriorating due to cracks and rain seeping into the structure.

NCCU will pay around $14,000 for the entire project.

Shepard, NCCU’s founder and first president, died in 1947.

The lifesize statue was built in his honor 10 years later.

The restoration will take six months to complete.

According to Kathy Axiotes, of Karkadoulias Bronze Art, a team of seven specialists will work on the statue checking for cracks as well as corrosion.

They will remove pollution layers one millimeter at a time until they reach the original surface.

A protective finish will be added to the original finish to prevent patina substances from appearing again.

The bronze statue of Shepard was made in 1956 by William Zorach, a Lithuanian-born sculptor who worked in New York City.

The James E. Shepard Memorial Foundation raised $20,000 for the project.