NYC Parks Department Monuments Conservation Program Crew at Washington Square Arch

Monument Conservation Program (NYC Parks), NYC Parks Department, Preservation

 

 

 

 

The New York City Parks Department Monuments Conservation Program Crew will be heading to Washington Square Park on Thursday, July 21, 2022 to begin intensive stone repairs, micro-abrasive cleaning, and chemical protection to preserve the Washington Square Arch’s masonry.

NYC Parks conservators and seasonal apprentices are spending three weeks preserving the arch. The work will include surveying the arch to ensure structural stability of all marble masonry, decorative ornament and sculptural stonework ~ gently cleaning the entire monument of biological growth and pollutants ~ conducting masonry repairs and mortar replacement at the parapet ~ stabilizing the sculptures through chemical stone consolidation ~  applying a graffiti barrier to the lower portion of the arch ~ working with BirdMaster to install an improved roof level bird proofing system.

Dating to 1895, the majestic arch designed by architect Stanford White, is an international symbol of New York City and central gathering place for tourists and New Yorkers alike. The arch was restored in 2003, and this preservation work is part of Parks’ ongoing stewardship.

The Washington Square Arch is one of many monuments throughout the five boroughs that will receive care this summer through NYC Parks’ Citywide Monuments Conservation Program (CMCP), now in its 25th year.

CMCP is an award-winning public/private partnership launched in 1997 and supported by individual, corporate, and foundation grants. Program staff and seasonal conservation apprentices have successfully worked to preserve the city’s rich cultural heritage, and provide graduate-level apprentices with professional training through hands-on work on the nation’s leading collection of public art.

The Monuments Conservation Program crew will be on site in Washington Square Park from 9:00 to 11:00am on Thursday, July 21st.

Did you know that the remains of early New Yorkers were recently reinterred from Washington Square Park?

Follow The Washington Square Park Conservancy.

George Segal ‘Gay Liberation’

Recent work by Monuments Conservation Program include George Segal’s ‘Gay Liberation’ sculptures and Richard Hunt’s ‘Harlem Hybrid.’

NYC Parks’ Citywide Monuments Conservation Program working on Richard Hunt’s Harlem Hybrid on West 125th Street in Harlem. Image credit: NYC Parks/Malcolm Pinckney

While you’re there, visit one of the oldest art clubs in the country, The Salmagundi Club, located at 47 Fifth Avenue between 11th and 12th Streets, free to the public and open daily from 1-5pm.