Clinton Square, Syracuse, New York

The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument located in Clinton Square in Syracuse, New York was dedicated in 1920 to honor the twelve thousand Onondaga County servicemen who fought in the Civil War. The seventy-one-foot-tall monument features two massive bronze reliefs — Mending the Flag on the west side, and The Call to Arms on the east.

In 2001, as the city readied for the re-dedication and renovation of Clinton Square, the conditions of the monument were examined by Conservation Solutions, Inc. (CSI). The assessment noted numerous loose and open joints, a number of sizable cracks in both relief panels, missing and damaged sculptural components, including a bent bayonet held by one of the sculpted soldiers, and soiling, consisting of a considerable amount of bird guano debris as well as gold spray paint. A number of casting flaws were also noted.

The two massive bronze sculptural groups, which weigh over six tons each, were removed from the monument by unfastening all mechanical attachments with proper tools to allow for the reuse of these materials.

The flag on the east group was removed first, and an eighty-ton hydraulic crane lowered it to the ground so that it could be properly transported. The sculptures were then rigged using nylon slings that did not damage the metal or existing patina. The pieces were “picked’ in a manner that did not unequally stress the sculptures or damage the sculptures, which were then loaded onto oak skids and transported to the CSI studio in Maryland.

Repairs to the bronze reliefs included the repair or replacement of approximately 472 ferrous bolts, 275 bronze bolts, and seventy-six ferrous pins; welding repairs to several cracks and inappropriate holes; and other various structural and cosmetic repairs. Loose corrosion products were removed from the bronze surfaces using water jets with low-to-medium pressure, and the interior portions of the sculptures were cleaned. Areas of “bare” bronze which had been concealed by the gold spray paint, and those with light green corrosion products, were patinated to unify their appearance, and a protective barrier coating of wax was applied to fulfill the client’s request for a “maintainable protective coating.”

Once the conservation treatment was complete, the sculptural groups were crated and shipped back to the site for reinstallation.

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