We are excited to announce the long-awaited Shaw 54th Regiment Memorial Restoration will proceed as planned this week. The restoration was delayed due to the shutdown and the City of Boston suspension on construction. We look forward to moving ahead with the project now that permission to begin has been granted.
We are proud to be partnering with the National Park Service, City of Boston, and the Museum of African American History for this project to reconstruct and stabilize the Memorial. All of the bronze and stone will be removed from the plaza level up, taken offsite to a conservation studio, and new waterproofing will be installed under the plaza's brick. A new concrete foundation will be built under the bronze, and everything replaced, pinning the bronze to the marble structure that surrounds it.
900 hundred feet of construction fencing will be installed around the site, with interpretive signage on the fencing explaining the project, the history of the 54th Regiment, the design, dedication, and the legacy of the Memorial. A life-size representation of the monument will be part of the signage so people can still see the Shaw 54th Regiment Memorial even though it will be off-site during the restoration project.
We have collaborated with Hoverlay to bring the Shaw 54th Regiment Memorial right into your living room with a new "at home" channel. The experience is laid out and scaled down to fit smaller spaces, and all the holograms appear in front of the user (better for a small space). The 3D experience features four holographic stories about the 54th Regiment, the sculptor Saint-Gaudens, the dedication of the Memorial, and its political and social role. The Augmented Reality experience is available to anyone using your phone or tablet on the Hoverlay app (in the App Store). Search for the Shawe54MemorialAtHome channel or this direct link for your mobile phone: https://hoverlay.io/Shaw54MemorialAtHome
For updates on the restoration, and to view information on or stream past events, like A Community Conversation, visit the partnership website: shaw54thmemorialrestoration.org
We are excited to unveil the 900ft of interpretive signage as we begin the restoration project. Below, find a preview of some of the historic sections that will illustrate the narrative of the Memorial with primary source photos, documents, artifacts, maps, quotes, and illustrations.
