TICONDEROGA — A giant sculpture of six Dixon Ticonderoga No. 2 yellow pencils that were once sourced in Ticonderoga was unveiled before an applauding crowd Thursday at the Ticonderoga Heritage Museum and Visitor Center.
American Graphite Company once processed graphite in Ticonderoga for Dixon Ticonderoga’s famous pencils made in Ohio, but Dixon Ticonderoga moved production to Mexico and its headquarters to Florida.
Graphite once mined in Ticonderoga and Hague for the pencils now comes from Sri Lanka.
But the pencils still bear the Ticonderoga No. 2 name and have the same familiar yellow wooden body.
The sculpture was the idea of Heritage Museum trustee emeritus Denise Huestis, who funded the project and spoke at the dedication.
“Richard (Bersche) did the welding; he made it out of stainless steel,” she said. “Ron (Pritt) made it yellow, then it went to Mark Austin’s shop and he produced the rest of it. It’s a bi-community effort.”
Austin did the lettering at A&S Customs Autobody and Repair of Crown Point.
The pencil sculpture is composed of six huge Dixon Ticonderoga No. 2 yellow pencils in a circular arrangement, and was the conception of artist and designer Chris Sharp.
“The historic connection with Ticonderoga is undeniable,” Sharp said in a statement. “We are what we create.”
Huestis said it weighs 600 pounds and will sit on a pedestal created by Wilks Construction in front of the museum.
“This will make our mark in the future,” Huestis said. “I hope everyone enjoys it. We had fun doing it.”
NATIONAL SYMBOL
State Sen. Dan Stec (R-Queensbury) was at the ceremony and reminisced about using Ticonderoga Dixon pencils as a boy.
“All of us grew up with Ticonderoga No. 2 pencils,” he said. “That’s a nationally recognized symbol. It’s a great symbol of the history of this community.”
State Assemblyman Matt Simpson (R-Brant Lake) said he also loved Ticonderoga No. 2 pencils.
“They are the best pencils,” Simpson said. “This is a reminder of our past where the graphite mines were.”
Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce President Matt Courtright said the chamber was honored to be at the ceremony.
“The Ticonderoga Heritage Museum does a great job of preserving our heritage,” he said. “We honor Ticonderoga’s industrial history with this magnificent sculpture.”
The statue sits in front at the Ticonderoga Heritage Museum located at 137 Montcalm St., near the entrance to Percy Thompson Bicentennial Park in downtown Ticonderoga.