Loudoun County Courthouse War Monument

Our conservators assessed and maintained monuments on the grounds of the Loudoun County Courthouse in 2008. Memorials from three 20th century wars and the Civil War were observed, documented, researched and assessed. The goal was to determine the types and causes of observed deterioration, the possible remedies, and to provide budgetary cost estimates for implementing the work.

The limestone monuments represented an interesting sample of masonry construction from different periods. While similar in appearance and scale, the WW I monument (or doughboy) used traditional ashlar construction; the WW II is monolithic and the Vietnam War is built of thin wall cladding over a concrete core. The Civil War Soldier memorial follows 19th Century norms of a bronze figure on a granite base.

After identifying a number of conditions requiring treatment, and recommending solutions, our conservators were asked by the client to maintain the Civil War Soldier. The bronze was washed and the hot wax coating was renewed or replaced. All surfaces were buffed and the granite base was protected throughout. A treatment report documenting the work was submitted at the completion of the project.