Vandalized Neighborhood Icon Still Breathing Life Into St. Catherine Street

Nathan sits on the corner of St. Catherine Street dressed for a day at the beach and cheerfully waving to passing cars. At first glance, it’s hard to tell he’s actually a life-sized sculpture.

“I used to worry people would get into wrecks,” said Michael Heisler, Nathan’s sculptor. “You can see them do double takes in their car. They slow down, sometimes they reverse the cars and back up for another look.”

Nathan has been a neighborhood icon since 1997. Recently, the 14-year-old sculpture had it’s arm snapped off. Instead of hiding Nathan away for his safety, Heisler sculpted him a new arm.

“People are so glad to see him out there. They thought I’d give up, but you can’t do that," Heisler said. "When I see people get it, realize he’s a sculpture then grin and laugh, it’s all worth it."

Nathan could have easily been nothing but ashes. A friend of Heisler’s offered him free firewood as long as he came and picked it up. When Heisler brought it back home, some of the wood was too gorgeous to burn.

He’d been thinking of trying his hand at sculpture. Now he had the supplies. First he carved the bench Nathan sits on. The stump that would become Nathan was originally destined to be a chair, but at the last minute Heisler changed his mind and decided to try something more ambitious.

In 1997, his nephew Nathan was 3 years old. He invited his nephew over, took measurements and started working. Fourteen years later, the wooden Nathan is still waving to cars. Heisler said his nephew thinks his namesake is funny.

“For awhile, my kids thought I was crazy. The wife and I dress him up for different holidays," Heisler said. "I told them I’m retired, at least it keeps me off the couch. People here love him.”

Brian Peeves, a young father who lives a five-minute walk from Nathan, said he looks forward to seeing the sculpture when he takes his family out on walks.

“Some people dress up ducks in their yard. This is much more interesting," Peeves said. "It’s a lot better than yard gnomes.”

Last Christmas, Nathan received cards from his neighbors. A few weeks ago, neighbors delivered get well cards after his arm was broken off.

Heisler was stoic about the vandalization.

“Kids,” he said, shrugging. “Nathan had an American flag snapped to his hand. They snapped the whole arm right off.”

For a few weeks, Heisler posed Nathan with light hearted signs reading, “I’ve been disarmed!” or “Armed Robery!”

Neighbors joined in the search for the missing arm, but there were no rumors about who might have taken it. Although Heisler no longer sculpts, he decided to craft Nathan a new arm from a 4-by-5 outdoor post and a borrowed band saw.

In person, it’s hard to imagine that until recenlty Nathan’s new arm was part of some broken lawn furniture.

This isn’t Nathan’s first brush with danger. Heisler said a few years ago, Nathan was kidnapped from his bench. The entire neighborhood started searching for him.

“I had people pull into the driveway telling me they saw him at the park, sitting on the diving board. People told me he went from there all the way out to Lake Saint Louis," he said. "There are pictures of him with three girls in bikinis with their arms around him. He has more fun than I do!”

The kidnapper’s girlfriend eventually turned him in. Heisler told her not to worry. As long as Nathan came home safe, he didn’t care. The boy could drop the sculpture off at night when he was sleeping if it made him more comfortable. They didn’t have to talk at all.

Before he could make the secret drop off, his parents found out about it. Instead of sneaking Nathan back onto his bench in the dark of night, the 15-year-old thief showed up with both of his parents. They made him personally apologize to Heisler and mow his grass for the rest of the summer.

“I’ll give him this, he took good care of Nathan," Heisler said. "When they brought him back he was in good shape, no fingers or toes broken on his adventure.”

Alison Dougherty said she grew up with Nathan.

“I’ve lived in Florissant my whole life, and I’ve lived in the house we’re in now since I was 6,” she said.

She said she first heard about Nathan’s missing arm from a total stranger.

“I was heading this direction on my walk. Someone driving by asked if I heard about the arm," Dougherty said. "I hadn’t seen it yet, so I didn’t know. That’s just crazy.”

She said she was glad Heisler trusted his neighbors enough to sculpt Nathan a new arm instead of taking him inside for safety. “The neighborhood wouldn’t be the same without him.”

Heisler said as long as people enjoy seeing Nathan, he and his wife will keep dressing him up. In addition to holiday-themed costumes, they’ve dressed him as everything from Elvis to a highway construction worker.

This summer, they’re working on a new butterfly-catcher costume.