Zinc Justice & Liberty Statues

Atop the City Hall building in Goldsboro, North Carolina, sit the figures of Liberty and Justice. Fabricated from zinc sheets using repoussé and chasing techniques by the W. H. Mullins Co. around the turn of the 20th century, these sculptures are exemplary of early American metalwork.

EveerGreene was engaged to conduct a comprehensive conditions assessment. This included historic documentation, a review of site conditions, detailed observations of the sculptures’ materials and condition, interior examination using a field borescope, and the collection of samples for analytical testing.

Microscopic analysis of paint samples revealed that the sculptures were originally gilded, while stratigraphic examination of existing paint layers documented multiple subsequent over-paint campaigns.

Using these findings, we produced a detailed conditions assessment report outlining the sculptures’ current state, likely causes of deterioration, and recommended treatment strategies. The report included step-by-step guidance on preservation and stabilization methods, the appropriate materials for treatment, and a budgetary estimate for the proposed work.

Following the assessment, our conservators carried out the conservation treatment, which involved replicating missing elements, repairing damaged skins, adding structural supports, and regilding the figures. The sculptures were consequently reinstalled.