Stillwater, Minnesota

The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial, the only monument in the quaint city of Stillwater on the Minnesota side of the Saint Croix River, was installed in 1917. It memorializes the many residents of Washington County who fought for the Union in the Civil War. It is sited at the 1867 Courthouse which sits at the summit of this Victorian city.

The monument had suffered from the deterioration typical of monuments sited in the outdoor environment. The bronze had developed disfiguring green and black streaks as the surfaces corroded. Inappropriate iron brackets were installed to replace the original central mounting bolt, which was lost at some time in the past. The granite was soiled and missing its original lead caulking.

Conservation Solutions, Inc. was contracted to conserve the monument in 2007. We removed the iron brackets and gun straps and hoisted the bronze statue off the base in order to restore the mountings. A time capsule dating to the statue’s original installation was found under the statue and surrendered to the owner. The statue was remounted and all damages to the stone resulting from the previous inappropriate work were restored. All surfaces were cleaned, the stone was recaulked and the bronze was repatinated. The plaques and statue were then coated with exterior grade lacquer. A maintenance plan was included in the treatment report for the work.

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