Knoxville, Tennessee

The Knoxville National Cemetery was established in 1863 by famed Civil War General Ambrose Burnside. The most notable monument on-site is the Union Soldiers Monument. The original monument, completed in 1901, was sadly destroyed by lighting in 1904, but was re-built through diligent fund-raising and construction efforts by 1906. Today, the Union Soldiers Monument stands 60 feet tall, built of local gray-pink Tennessee marble in a Gothic Revival style. A tower rises over a low, turreted base, topped by an over-life size figure of a soldier at the ready. Two arched entrances guarded by wrought iron gates lead into a small memorial chamber within the base, lined with inscribed marble panels and a stained glass window.

After over a century of exposure, the monument was beginning to show signs of deterioration. The existing roofs were failing, allowing destructive moisture to enter themonument. Existing mortar was cracking or the joints open entirely. Atmospheric soiling and thick mineral crusts had accumulated on stone surfaces. Cracks and dimensional losses had developed in the marble. The iron gates and window frame exhibited rusting and coating failure.

In 2009, Conservation Solutions, Inc. (CSI) was contracted to conserve the Union Soldiers monument. Atmospheric and biological soiling were removed through detergent washing and water rinsing. Dense mineral accumulations were removed through a combination of mild water misting, followed by detail cleaning of any residual crusts using carefully controlled micro-abrasives. Cracked and open joints were pointed using a custom color mixed mortar, tooled to match the existing. Areas of stone loss were repaired through composite patching or by installing a dutchman of matching stone stock, profiled and finished to match the existing. Metal elements were blast-cleaned of rust and re-coated with a high-performance coating. New EPDM roofing installed to prevent recurring moisture infiltration. The stone tile floor was re-honed to remove deposits and excessive grinder marks from at inappropriate previous cleaning attempts, successfully restoring the clarity of color and design to the vault floor. The treatment procedures were thoroughly documented.

Click here to download a printable PDF version of this page.