Existing comment:
This is the Washington Square Arch which was under a 16-month restoration project. There were signs describing the history of the arch:
History:
The Washington Square Arch is a defining feature of the Greenwich Village Landmark Historic District, the emblem of New York University, and the heart of an international tourist mecca. Designed by Stanford White and dedicated in 1895, the triumphal arch was an expression of the City Beautiful movement, which sought to create structures and public spaces in America whose beauty and stature would rival those of the European capitals.
This arch was preceded in 1889 by a temporary triumphal arch of wood and paper mache spanning Fifth Avenue, 100 feet north of the square. Designed also by Stanford White, it commemorated the centennial of George Washington's inauguration in New York City.
The temporary arch was so well received that plans were immediately made to erect a permanent structure built of Tuchahoe marble. Nearly $122,000 was raised through private subscription.
David H King Jr, who constructed the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, was hired as builder. Most of the ornamentation on the Arch, including the spandral panels, was designed by William MacMonnies, and crafted by the Piccirilli studio, a shop of Italian master carvers. The two marble eagles were designed by Philip Martiny. Construction began on May 30 1890, was completed by February 1895, and the Arch was dedicated on May 4th that year.
A later campaign funded the statues of Washington. The eastern statue depicts George Washington as Commander-in-Chief, accompanied by Fame and Valor. It was designed by Herman Atkins MacNeil and installed in 1916. To the west, Washington as Stateman, accompanied by Wisdom and Justice, designed by Alexander Stirling Calder, was installed in 1918. Both were carved of Dover marble by the Piccirilli studio.
The Washington Square Arch has attained iconic status, appearing frequently in the work of artists and photographers, including Edward Hopper, Ernest Lawson, William Glackens, and Berenice Abbott. In 1917, as Greenwich Village was becoming a center of bohemian and intellectual life, a group of artists and actors led by Marcel Duchamp, John Sloan, and Gertrude Drick, illicitly camped atop the Arch and declared Greenwich Village an independent nation.
Conservation:
The ravages of time have had their effect on the Washington Square Arch. Not long after the monument was completed, Stanford White observed cracking in the marble, but decided that it was not a significant threat to the structure. For over 60 years, cars and buses ran through the Arch; beginning in 1958, traffic was phased out after protests led by Shirley Hayes and other Greenwich Village activists.
Weathering, pollution, water seepage, roosting birds, vandalism, and inappropriate treatments (including sandblaster and over-painting) contributed to widespread deterioration of the masonry surface, and to the erosion or loss of sculptural elements. In 1997, the Arch underwent an interim stabilization. Systematic examination of the Arch between 1992 and 1998 revealed crumbling stonework, surface "sugaring," brittle ornament, vegetative growth, and general soiling and decay. These assessments included extensive on-site and laboratory testing of cleaning methods and stone consolidants.
This project will restore the Washington Square Arch to its rightful grandeur. Conservation treatments for the Arch were established based on the recommendations of a panel of experts from here and abroad that was assembled by Parks for consultation. Loose pieces of marble will be secured, detached pieces salvaged by Parks will be reattached, select sculptural and decorative features will be recarved, and fissures filled with an appropriate mortar compound. The statues of Washington will be repaired, using 3-D laser images as models.
The marble masonry is being carefully cleaned using a low-velocity micro-abrasive system, and the Arch is being treated with a chemical consolidant that strengthens the stone and protects against weathering. A new roof will be built. Select joints on the exterior walls will be repointed, and cracks in interior walls repaired. The rusting steel elements of the Guastavino terra cotte tile staircase within the east pier will be replaced.
Efflorescence (surface crystallization of salts) will be removed from the interior brick masonry. Nylon mesh bird proofing will be installed, and the Arch will be fully illuminated. |