Wind storm topples Ben Franklin statue in Boston

BOSTON -- When Ben Franklin famously flew a kite in a lightning storm, he made history, but a wind storm over the weekend proved too much.

The Boston Globe reports an 1856 bronze statue of Franklin positioned along the city's Freedom Trail toppled over after a particularly blustery Sunday.

City spokeswoman Bonnie McGilpin says high winds pushed a nearby tent into the statue, causing it to fall off its pedestal.

She says the Boston Arts Commission is working with a professional curator on the repair plan.

"It is being inspected now and then we should have more details to share," she said in an e-mail to the Globe.

Spokesperson for the Boston Art Commission tells the Globe the statue could be gone for a month or more.

Crews were seen placing the statue into what looked like a body bag on Monday.

The Freedom Trail Foundation website says the statue marks the location of the original Boston Latin School, where Franklin was a student. It's the oldest public school in the nation.