Appropriately, the art work was reinstalled just in time for the 200th anniversary of the incorporation of the village on April 3. It is the same day a special cancellation was made available at the post office to commemorate the bicentennial.

The bronze medallion features a likeness of Cooper and describes the author as ``America’s Great Romancer and First Naval Historian.’’

Below Cooper is a bronze sculpture of Natty Bumpo and his Mohican friend and companion Chingachgook flanking a canoe.

``Of course I’m delighted,’’ said village historian and James Fenimore Cooper Society founder Hugh MacDougall, who had not been aware of plans to reinstall the artwork.

The bronze medallion was created by Bela Janowsky and hung in 1938, two years after the Cooperstown post office building was dedicated. The work was commissioned by the Treasury Relief Art Project (TRAP) with funds from the Depression-era Works Progress Administration.

It was removed when the new entry was installed a few years ago and had been in storage in the basement until the decision was made to reinstall it.

Postmaster Kathy Bleuer said she had been trying to reinstall the plaque since she came to Cooperstown, but there is a process to go through to get that accomplished.

Bleuer said she was particularly interested in seeing it up again after a relative of Janowsky stopped in the post office in the hope of seeing it.

The postmaster has been hearing many positive comments from postal customers in the short time it has been back up.

Bleuer was particularly happy the installation was complete in time for the special bicentennial cancellation and encourages everyone to stop in to see it.

``It looks very nice,’’ she said.