Navigate to Homepage
Search
Main navigation
  

        
              Explore the Capitol Campus
                          Art
                            Buildings & Grounds
                            Capitol Hill Facts
                            Visitor Resources
                            Our Blog
                            What We Do
                          Areas of Expertise
                            Programs & Ceremonies
                            Projects
                            Publications
                            Strategic Objectives
                            About Us
                          Who We Are
                            History of the AOC
                            News & Notices
                            Organizational Structure
                            Partnerships & Recognition
                            Work With UsSearch Breadcrumb
    HomeExplore the Capitol CampusOur Blog
Restoring Grant's Glory

Because weather and time have not been kind to the Grant Memorial, AOC staff developed a preservation strategy to restore the Grant Memorial to its original condition.
By laura condeluci |April 27, 2015
        
                  Image

The Grant Memorial sits in silent, yet powerful repose beneath the shadow of the U.S. Capitol Dome, serving as a timeless sentinel to the heroism, valor, strength and also the anguish our nation endured when it was torn apart by the Civil War.

During the war, the Capitol was briefly used by Union troops as soldiers' quarters, a hospital and even a bakery. Today, millions of visitors approach the large bronze and marble memorial that honors the Civil War general, Ulysses S. Grant, whose victories as a military strategist are credited with saving the Union and who later became our nation's 18th president.

"Time and the elements of nature have ravaged the monument's surfaces," said Eugene Poole, Jr., U.S. Capitol Jurisdiction and Project Executive in Planning and Project Management, who is managing the Grant Memorial's bronze conservation and Union Square rehabilitation. "We are moving aggressively to conserve, preserve and restore the historic fabric of the Grant Memorial and Union Square to its former glory."

The care of Union Square and the Grant Memorial were transferred from the National Park Service to the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) in late 2011. The Grant Memorial is located by the reflecting pool at the east end of the National Mall, west of the U.S. Capitol.

Upon transfer, the AOC addressed immediate safety issues and repaired the most visibly deteriorated conditions throughout Union Square. Because weather and time have not been kind to the Grant Memorial, AOC staff developed a preservation strategy to restore the Grant Memorial to its original condition.

The preservation effort will begin in the spring of 2015, with the conservation of the nine bronze sculptural elements. Fencing and scaffolding will surround the sculptural groups. The conservation will include cleaning, repairing, repatinating and protecting the existing bronze. Sixty-one missing or broken bronze pieces will be recast. After the bronze conservation is complete, stone cleaning, setting and conservation will follow.

"After worrying about the poor condition of the largest and probably most visible and visited sculptural monument in the city, I am thrilled that we will be restoring it so that everyone will be able to see and appreciate the incredible accurate and life-like details and strong emotional impact that have been obscured by corrosion," said Barbara Wolanin, Curator for the AOC. "In addition to all that it commemorates, the Grant Memorial is a masterwork of American sculpture to which Henry Shrady devoted 20 years of his life and sadly, passed away just two weeks before the memorial was dedicated."

Getting the statue restored to its original brilliance before the bicentennial of Grant's birth in 2022 – a century after its dedication – will properly honor this American hero. Wolanin added, "The conservation of the memorial will demonstrate the commitment of the Architect of the Capitol to preserve and care for our national treasures for current and future generations."

*Follow project updates for the Grant Memorial Restoration.*

*Panorama of the Grant Memorial and Capitol Reflecting Pool.*

Grant Sightings

During portions of the conservation of the Grant Memorial, the statues may not be visible, but you can still catch a glimpse of Grant as a marble statue in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol and on the $50 bill. The lions from the Grant memorial can also be seen during the opening credits of the political thriller "House of Cards."

Who was Ulysses S. Grant?

**1822**
			Hiram Ulysses Grant was born on April 27, 1822, in Point Pleasant, Ohio. Appointed to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1839, he arrived to learn that he had been erroneously enrolled as Ulysses Simpson Grant. Simpson was his mother's maiden name. The roll could not be corrected, so Grant changed his name.**1843**
			Upon graduation he was posted near St. Louis, where he met his future wife, Julia Dent. After distinguished service in the Mexican War and at several garrison postings, he resigned his commission in 1854.**1861**
			Volunteering to serve the Union cause after the start of the Civil War, Grant was the strategist of victories that earned him national attention. His achievements at Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chattanooga and Appomattox were decisive in the course and outcome of the war.**1869**
			He served as the 18th President of the United States (1869-1877). His political inexperience and misplaced trust in unscrupulous advisers, however led to scandal despite his own innocence of corruption.**1885**
			Grant died of throat cancer on July 23, 1885, and is entombed with his wife Julia in New York City, in a mausoleum overlooking the Hudson River.**This story is also published in the Spring 2015 issue of AOC's Foundations & Perspectives.**

*---
Editor's Note: This post has been updated to reflect the correct number of bronze elements and missing pieces.*
Comments
    
  
    
Jack Bryar (no... (not verified)PermalinkApril 27, 2015 - 7:31pmGrant was a far greater president than most appreciate. He  tried very hard to preserve the gains of freed slaves at a time when corruption in Congress ans among the state Republican parties was almost endemic, and during a period when the Klan and other neo Confederate political organizations were already beginning to raise havoc.
ReplyPamela Thornlo... (not verified)PermalinkOctober 27, 2015 - 1:33pmAre there other bronze statues by H M Shrady on the capitol grounds?  I am specifically looking for an image of a large moose.  Thank you.
Replysarah.davisPermalinkOctober 28, 2015 - 9:48amHi Pamela, there are no other Shrady works around the Capitol, but I was able to find information about his Bull Moose sculpture through the Met Museum's website. Here is the link for that: http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/12588
ReplyAdd new comment
    Your name
Email Address
        The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
Comment
About text formats
Plain text
  
  
      
          No HTML tags allowed.
                      Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
                      Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
          
    
      Recent Stories
Related Articles
            
          Projects

  The AOC Never Paints Itself Into a Corner

An in-depth look at the most recent phase of the Capitol Building Paint Analysis and Plaster Repairs project.
    Projects

  Group Project: The Russell Building Courtyard

The Russell Senate Office Building courtyard was recently restored as a supplement to the Russell Exterior Envelope Project.
    Projects

  Cannon Light Fixture Restoration

While light fixtures are like jewelry to a room, they can also set a tone for the significance of the space. Naturally, they also provide illumination to enable work and safe movement.
    Projects

  Employees Lead U.S. Botanic Garden Horticultural Renovations

Several USBG employees recently led projects inside the Conservatory to improve the growing spaces and showcase more of the permanent plant collection.
    
                      More Stories Serve. Preserve. Inspire.

              Contact Us
                            Accountability
                            Hill Staff Resources
                            AOC Staff Resources
Utility
  

        
              Privacy Policy
                            Image Terms of Use
                            Inspector General
                            U.S. Botanic Garden
                            U.S. Capitol Visitor CenterFacebook
	Twitter
	Flickr
	YouTube
	Instagram
	Subscribe