The Conservancy offers comprehensive services to identify causes of masonry deterioration, develop a conservation strategy and implement treatments.
From stabilizing a weathered grave marker to developing appropriate mortar mixes for a re-pointing campaign, the Conservancy can help to solve masonry problems.
Featured Project
Vernon Park Monuments Restoration
5800 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19144
As part of the Neighborhood Park Stewardship Initiative to restore the monuments and landscape of Vernon Park, Fairmount Park Conservancy undertook the restoration of various monuments and statues in the park. The Battle of Germantown Memorial (1903), also known as “Soldiers’ Monument,” was designed by Philadelphia architect Frank Miles Day and commemorates the Battle of Germantown in 1777. The Wister sculpture is a hollow cast bronze statue that sits on a granite pedestal in front of Vernon House. The cane once held in the right hand of the Wister statue was missing and needed to be recast using historic photographs. The Pastorius monument is made of pink Tennessee marble and was designed by Albert Jaegers in 1917 and commemorates Franz Pastorius and 13 German families that founded Germantown in 1683.
The scope of the Conservancy’s restoration work included cleaning the monuments and statue; repointing the Pastorius steps; repointing the Battle of Germantown base and pavers; and hot waxing the bronze Wister statue and Battle of Germantown plaques. All work was executed by Conservancy staff.
