FBI Returns Stolen Guns To Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum
It is highly unusual for feature writers to take photos of people wearing masks and holding guns, but that is exactly what happened following the Dec. 17, 2021, return of two pistols that had been stolen from the Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum, 2451 Kissel Hill Road, Lancaster, in December of 1969.
Museum curator Jennifer Hall Royer first learned that the guns had been recovered when she was contacted by the FBI about three years ago. The two Civil War-era firearms were returned to Royer and site administrator David Blackburn two months ago following a press conference at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. The guns were recovered after the thief, Gavin Thomas of Montgomery County, sold a number of items to gun dealer Kelly Kinzle of York County. They were among firearms taken in a rash of museum robberies in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Royer said that the guns were stolen from the museum's gun shop and that there were no photographs of them. "They were identified as missing by the gunsmith at that time. He made drawings of them, and that's all we had," Royer said, noting that security at the museum has been strengthened considerably in the last 50 years.
Both pistols are percussion cap guns. One is an Army model, which dates to 1860. It was purchased in 1914 in New York City for $1.50 by Henry Landis, one of the brothers who founded the museum. It is 14 1/2 inches long. The second gun is a 13 1/2-inch-long Navy model, which dates to 1851.
According to Blackburn, Thomas kept the guns until he was nearly 80 and in failing health. In need of funds, Thomas offered several of the stolen pieces to Kinzle. Among the guns was a famous rifle made by master gunsmith John Christian Oerte. Kinzle believed the rifle was a replica when he purchased it, but after doing some research, he realized he had a gun that had been stolen from Valley Forge Historical Society in 1970. He quickly contacted the FBI. "Because that rifle was rare and valuable, the dealer recognized it from a database," said Blackburn. Thomas was tried in federal court in Philadelphia. Due to his age and ill health, he received a one-day sentence and a fine.
After Thomas was sentenced, Landis Valley received word that the FBI was ready to repatriate the objects back to the institutions from which they were stolen. The Philadelphia FBI Art Crimes Unit displayed the guns at the Museum of the American Revolution, where the famous rifle made by Oerte will now be housed, and members of the FBI recovery team spoke of how they were able to return the guns.
"Our hope is to display them here in the visitor's center," reported Royer, who is looking forward to opening a new exhibit in March called "Pennsylvania Germans - Their Lives Through Color," which will explore how color is used in the household and decorative arts.
"As a museum run by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, (we see the guns as an) important part of our collective story," said Blackburn. "They are part of our regional history, and we are proud to be in possession of them once again."
More information about the museum may be found at http://www.landisvalleymuseum.org.
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