The Soldiers and Sailors War Memorial and Andrew Gregg Curtin monument in front of the courthouse in Bellefonte are likely getting some much-needed attention this summer.
The Centre County Commissioners this week moved forward a professional services contract with APArchitects LLC for $104,191 for restoration and preservation work on the monuments.
The cost the county is $54,716, with $49,475 to come from the state. The contract was approved for the May 30 consent agenda, when it will likely be voted on.
Alan Popovich, of APArchitects, said it was really a continuation of a project started in 2004, with initial preservation efforts started in 2007, but lack of funds prevented further work.
He said there has been some accelerated deterioration on the monuments, though there didn’t appear to be any severe damage.
Work will begin on June 19, with the first step being to clean the monuments. Following that will be a close assessment of the plaques, metal and stone to take a tally of deterioration.
Popovich said it was important to take as little of the stone and metal off as possible during the process in order to preserve the works of art.
The second phase will begin next summer, with cleaning and assessment of the damage that occurred just within one year, which will give architects a benchmark for the rate of deterioration. That will allow them to develop a preservation plan, Popovich said.
Commissioner Steve Dershem said preservation of the monuments was an important investment.
“I’ve seen it deteriorate in the last 20 years pretty significantly and if it’s happening at that level, we’ve got to get our hands around it somehow and stop it,” Dershem said.
According to the Bellefonte Historical and Cultural Association, both the Soldiers and Sailors War Memorial and the Andrew Gregg Curtin statue were dedicated in 1906. The memorial was designed by Joseph M. Huston, the same person who designed the Capitol building in Harrisburg. Curtin was born in Bellefonte and was the governor of Pennsylvania during the Civil War. He went on to be a congressman from 1881 to 1887 and was also an ambassador to Russia.
They sit in front of a courthouse originally constructed in 1805 and completely replaced in 1854.
