Historic eagle at Hicksville LIRR station gets makeover

A 5,700-pound marble eagle perched outside the Hicksville LIRR station since 1965 has undergone a $5,000 face-lift. The 100-year-old eagle, whose beak had fallen off last year, was among 22 eagles placed on the façade of the original Pennsylvania Station before much of it was demolished in 1964 to make way for a new Madison Square Garden.

Nassau County gave $2,500 from its hotel and motel tax income fund, and the remaining money came from the Hicksville Historical Society ($1,300) and the Long Island Sunrise Trail Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society ($1,200)

Railroad historian Dave Morrison said the historical society is hoping to raise another $750 to put a protective coating on the eagle.