Historic light fixture stolen, then found, in Tilton

TILTON — For 162 years, a light fixture hung, a suitably grand device illuminating the porch at the Charles E. Tilton Mansion. Then, this past weekend, it disappeared — only to be discovered a stone’s throw away by a sharp-eyed watchman.

The light fixture was reported missing on Monday morning, and was likely taken sometime after nightfall  Sunday. The light, a glass orb that was suspended about 4 feet from the porch’s ceiling, was thought to have been in place since the residence was built in 1861, according to a spokesperson for the Tilton School.

It wasn’t missing for long, though, thanks to the observational skills of Brent Walterscheid, night security officer at Tilton School.

Walterscheid, who worked as a law enforcement officer in Texas for 40 years, patrols the school grounds on Monday and Thursday nights, checking to ensure that the buildings are secure. This Monday, he showed up to work with an extra task on his mind.

“Working in law enforcement, I did a lot of crime-scene work,” Walterscheid said. “I was just walking around thinking, OK, where’s it going to go?”

He was asking himself this question when he spotted something unusual on the school grounds, not 50 yards from the mansion’s porch.

“I just kind of walked along the treeline, and noticed there was a pile of leaves and sticks and logs, and the thing that really caught my eye was a piece of fake grass — astroturf — there, sticking up between the leaves,” he said.

That pile of leaves, sticks and astroturf were hiding the light fixture. And, it was in pretty good condition.

“It wasn’t banged up hardly any at all,” Walterscheid said.

The mansion was purchased by the Tilton School in 1962, said Bryan Geary, director of marketing and communications for the school. The building, which is on the National Registry of Historic Places, is part of a restoration project that includes the school, the Tilton Historical Society and the town, Geary said.

Once the fixture was noticed missing, a call was put out on social media asking for help locating the “priceless” artifact. Geary noted that the post was shared more than 1,000 times, which he said highlights the value of the property to the town of Tilton and the region.

“It’s not the circumstances you want, but it’s humbling to see what the building means to people in the area, and the relationship between Tilton School and the town of Tilton,” Geary said.

He confirmed that the light sustained only minor damage, and will be repaired.

Charles Tilton, a banker and philanthropist, played a prominent role in the development of the town, according to a fact sheet released by the school. A study by Samyn-D’Elia Architects and Milestone Construction concluded that the light, a copper fixture, was likely made in the early 1800s. The fact sheet describes the light as “a significant and valuable item.”

“We are definitely very fortunate that we were able to find it on school grounds,” Geary said. And, although the school already employs a security team, he said this close call is being treated as a teachable moment for the school.

“We are definitely going to use this as an opportunity to look at advanced security measures,” Geary said.