“George F. Johnson” Lingers A Bit Longer in Endicott

The task of removing Endicott's iconic statue of George F. Johnson took more time than initially expected.

The large statue honoring the founder of the Endicott Johnson Shoe Company has been a prominent fixture on East Main Street for decades. It's located in the newly-developed Tiger Park between Union-Endicott High School and the school district's administration building.

The bronze statue was to have been moved from its perch in the center of a monument on Monday for a long-awaited restoration project. But things didn't go quite as expected.

Nicole Wolfe, Union-Endicott School District superintendent, said workers encountered "some challenges" in moving the statue because of "the way that it's bolted down and the need to separate it" from the base of the monument.

Wolfe said they worked for awhile before determining they would be unable to remove the statue on Monday. She said although the initial task took longer than anticipated, she's looking forward to the restoration.

The work is to be performed by the Endicott Artistic Memorial Company, which is located a short distance in Endwell, just a short distance of the Johnson memorial site.

The restoration job is expected to be completed in about three months.

WNBF NEWS VIDEO: A visit to the memorial near Union-Endicott High School on January 13, 2026.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or call (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.