300-pound cannon vanished from a historic fort in Pennsylvania. Now search is on

A 300-pound replica signal cannon missing from a historic Philadelphia fort has sparked a police investigation, Pennsylvania officials reported.

The 1-inch bore signal cannon vanished from a wall at Fort Mifflin on the Delaware River sometime between May 27 and June 4, fort officials reported on Twitter.

“I would suspect this was taken by someone who finds it an appealing curiosity,” Beth Beatty, executive director of Fort Mifflin, told WPVI. “And maybe it’s in somebody’s yard, in somebody’s living room.”

The working 4-foot-long cannon, which sat on a box atop a 14-foot wall, has an estimated value of around $3,000, Beatty told the station.

Fort Mifflin, located on the river near the Philadelphia International Airport, played a role in the Revolutionary War, Philly Voice reported. The British laid siege to the fort in 1777.

Fort officials said on Twitter they hope to recover the cannon.

“We’re a small nonprofit and this is sort of a sentimental cannon for us,” Beatty told WPVI.

The fort asks that anyone with information on the cannon call 215-685-4167 or contact Philadelphia police.

This story was originally published June 13, 2023 at 2:36 PM with the headline "300-pound cannon vanished from a historic fort in Pennsylvania. Now search is on."