The memorial arch of the soldiers and seafarers on the Grand Army Plaza is now accessible to the public after it has undergone its first significant restoration for almost 50 years.
NYC Parks and the non -profit prospect Park Alliance organized a ceremony for cutting ligaments on Thursday to celebrate the restoration of the soldiers and Sailors' Memorial Arch at the Grand Army Plaza.
Through 8.9 million US dollars in city financing, Allianz restored the arch and the surrounding place and the landscape berms. It is the first significant restoration of the legendary Brooklyn monument in almost 50 years, officials said.
“… This Brooklyn icon has received a large facelifting in which the beautiful statues and the work of art are restored in its original fame”, Iris Rodriguez-Rosa Sid, Commissioner of the NYC Parks, in an explanation. “By taking care of the monuments, statues and works of art that improve our public spaces, we not only keep our history – we communicate the New Yorker that you earn the best in your public area.
The restoration included the replacement of the roof and the strengthening of the historical structure as well as the revival of the granite masonry to remove years of construction, stain and breakouts. Repairs of internal elements, including decorative bronze and cast iron spiral stairs and entrance gates; and design of a new, energy -efficient lighting to better present the historical elements of the arch and its statues.
In addition, the NYC Parks Citywide Monuments Conservation Program cleaned and restored the monumental statues of the arch. The project recently received a Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award from The Landmarks Conservancy, the highest honor for excellent preservation.
“The memorial arch of the soldiers and seafarers on the Grand Army Plaza is an icon in Brooklyn and now again a bright jewel of the district,” said Morgan Monaco, President of Prospect Park Alliance and Park Administrator.
The famous architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed the Grand Army Plaza in 1867 as a Grand entrance to the Prospect Park. In 1892 the plaza became the place of the soldier's memorial arch and the sailor's sailor, which were devoted to those who defended their lives during the civil war.
The Arch was designed by the American architect John H. Duncan, who also designed Grant's grave. At that time it was considered Brooklyn's Arc de Triomphe, one of the most famous monuments in Paris.
The bow is decorated with three bronze statue ensembles by Brooklyn born in Brooklyn, Beaux Arts sculptor Frederick William MacMonnies, who was also a very experienced painter and portrait. The arch also includes the statues of artists Philip Martiny and William Rudolf O'Donovan and the reliefs of the riders of American artists Thomas Eakins. It is one of the three large triumphal arches in New York City.
“While triumphal arches generally recognize great military victories and generals, this sheet of the rank is devoted to the young men of Brooklyn who have lost their lives to defend the union in the civil war,” said Monaco. “This makes the bow into a true memorial of people who welcome everything to Prospect Park and means that this is a place where everyone is celebrated and seen in our community.”
In order to restore the sheet, the internal architects of Allianz carried out significant studies to uncover the historical design. The original blueprints were lost at the time and require a detailed scan of the inner structure using radar and magnetic examinations.
After laboratory tests, the team found the composition of the Morctar Mortel, Rosendale, from the namesake city in the state of New York and used this in the restoration. In addition, cracked and broken masonry was replaced by a quarry near the original source in Maine. In the interior, bronze and cast iron spiral stairs and entrance gates were broken down for the restoration: original elements were cleaned, missing elements were replaced, and then the renewed piece was put together again.
The landscape berms, which frame the square on the east, west and north side, have also been restored. This work included removing invasive plants, trees and shrubs; and plants from 194 local trees as well as new plants and shrubs that offer interest and color throughout the season.
In addition, a chain limbs was replaced by low, decorative steel fences. Broken Bluestone and Granite in Bailey Fountain and the John F. Kennedy Memorial were set on the square, and an ADA-accessible curb at the north entrance was added to the Plaza.
NYC Parks Urban Park Rangers will hold special tours through the bow on Saturday, June 28th. Register here for the lottery.