Ever wondered what’s inside Brooklyn’s Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Arch at Grand Army Plaza? This June, NYC Parks offers a rare look inside for a select group of lucky explorers. This week, Untapped New York got a sneak peek during the ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the arch's $8.9 million restoration.
From now until Sunday, June 8th at 11:59 pm, those wishing to venture inside the arch can enter a lottery drawing to win a ticket to a ranger-led tour on Saturday, June 28. Enter to win your free spot online, here!
Thursday's ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the completion of the first significant restoration of this Brooklyn icon in nearly 50 years. Spearheaded by the Prospect Park Alliance and NYC Parks with Mayoral funding, the scope of work included a new roof, the installation of steel beams for structural reinforcement, repointing and repairs of the granite stonework, and restoration of interior elements such as the decorative bronze and cast-iron spiral staircases. New energy-efficient lighting highlights the arch's monumental statuary while modern ventilation and drainage systems ensure the structure is protected from damage by the elements.
The restoration team used innovative modern technology to ensure they accurately restored and recreated elements of the past. Since the arch's original blueprints have been lost, the Alliance used radar technology and magnetic investigation tools to create a detailed scan of the inner structure. Laboratory testing revealed that the composition of the stonework mortar was cement from Rosendale, New York, so they used that for the restoration. When stones needed to be replaced, they were sourced from a quarry in Maine near the original source.
All of this meticulous work earned a Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award from the Landmarks Conservancy, its highest honor for excellence in preservation.
The Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Arch has stood at the entrance to Prospect Park since 1892. Built to commemorate those who lost their lives fighting for the Union in the Civil War, it was designed by American architect John H. Duncan (designer of Grant's Tomb) with three bronze statuary ensembles by the Brooklyn-born Beaux Arts sculptor Frederick William MacMonnies.
While the arch stood triumphantly for more than half a century, by the time it was landmarked in 1975, it was literally falling apart. The Quadriga of Columbia, an allegorical representation of the United States, which crowns the arch, fell off her chariot! Before this most recent restoration project, which began in 2021, the last major preservation effort took place after this incident in 1976.
