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Courtesy illustration
Burkittsville has selected the design shown in this illustration to replace metal signs at the town’s entrance points. |
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At the four entrances to Burkittsville , new wooden signs will be installed. The mayor hopes no one will steal them. Town resident Cathy Bowman designed the new signs selected by the town council. On a blue background, white lettering will read "Welcome to the historic village of Burkittsville , established 1824." The town name was adopted in 1824, although people lived there long before. Mayor Debby Burgoyne said a small frontier settlement occupied the area in the mid- to late 1700s. The town was incorporated in 1894. Final cost for design and installation of the new signs is about $3,000, and they will be installed soon, Burgoyne said. That leaves the question of what to do with the four existing metal signs. They survived the rash of sign thefts that followed the release of the independent film "The Blair Witch Project." "You really can't imagine how crazy it was during the whole Blair Witch saga," Burgoyne said. Released in 1999, filmed in part near Burkittsville , the town's wooden signs were stolen several times, Burgoyne said. The South Mountain Heritage Society has secured one for posterity, Councilwoman Catherine Cox said. The wooden signs were replaced about 10 years ago with metal ones that would be more difficult to steal, Burgoyne said. "Believe it or not, a couple of the metal signs were stolen." Residents will have a chance to suggest what to do with the remainder. Councilwoman Jayme Marshal suggested selling them online or locally at auction. The new signs will be made of wood. "We hope people won't want to steal them," Burgoyne said.
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