Western Pennsylvania's trusted news source
Franco Harris, George Washington statues to return to Pittsburgh airport | TribLIVE.com
Allegheny

Franco Harris, George Washington statues to return to Pittsburgh airport

JoAnne Klimovich Harrop
1654909_web1_ptr-francogeorgeT-031619
Pittsburgh International Airport
The statues of Pittsburgh Steelers legend Franco Harris and founding father George Washington were removed from their spots at the Pittsburgh International Airport in preparation for a $1.1 billion makeover.
1654909_web1_ptr-FrancoAirport-040119
Courtesy Franco Harris
In a photo posted to Instagram, Pittsburgh Steelers legend Franco Harris recreates his iconic catch at the Pittsburgh International Airport on March 30. The airport removed a statue of Harris, as well as that of President George Washington, for cleaning and refurbishing
1654909_web1_TK-Franco-Harris-WPSM
Tribune-Review
A statue of Pittsburgh Steelers legend Franco Harris making his “Immaculate Reception” catch on display at Senator John Heinz History Center in 2008.

Franco Harris and George Washington soon will be back where they belong.

The iconic statues of Steelers star player Harris and the first U.S. president are returning to their homes inside the Pittsburgh International Airport.

The statues will be unveiled during a news conference Thursday.

The statues were taken to the Sen. John Heinz History Center in in March for conservation work and cleaning. Harris, whose legendary “Immaculate Reception” in a 1972 playoff game is memorialized in his statue, will be part of the event. He tweeted about the statue when it went missing.

The return date was chosen because it is close to the Steelers’ opening home game on Sunday, when they host the Seattle Seahawks.

Airport employees will be celebrating a “Steelers Day” as part of the festivities, wearing Pittsburgh Steelers gear and colors.

Local travelers often declare, “I know I’m home when I see George and Franco.” The locale is also a popular selfie spot. The statues are owned by the history center and are on loan to the airport.

JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.

Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.

Get Ad-Free >

Categories: Local | Allegheny | Top Stories
Content you may have missed