Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today joined Parks Commissioner Henry J. Stern to announce a complete restoration of the Washington Square Arch, located in the northern half of Washington Square Park at the southern end of Fifth Avenue. The Giuliani Administration contributed $1.5 million toward the $2.9 million restoration project, which will include interior and exterior work to thoroughly repair the deteriorated Arch.

"This reconstruction project will restore one of the City's most prized and recognizable landmarks," Mayor Giuliani said. "The renovation will repair weather and pollution damage that has deteriorated the marble stonework of the Arch over the years. I want to thank New York University for establishing a preservation fund that will help maintain this magnificent monument for years to come."

"In 1892, the Washington Square Arch was completed to honor our nation's founder," Parks Commissioner Stern said. "Today, we are delighted to bring this historic arch back to its original splendor for the enjoyment of the public."

"Rehabilitation work on the Arch has been needed almost as long as I have been Speaker, so I am glad to see it finally come to fruition as my term ends," Speaker Peter F. Vallone. "I want to salute the residents and advocates who have stood by this project and made sure that the Arch received the funding and attention it deserved. I am happy to have helped allocate over one million dollars for such a treasured landmark."

"I am glad that NYU could be a part of the collaboration among our neighbors that kept the matter of the Arch's deterioration on the 'front burner' and established its renovation as a municipal priority," NYU President L. Jay Oliva said. "All of us who live in this community know the importance of the arch as a symbol of our neighborhood and we share a concern that having once fallen into disrepair, it could do so again. For that reason, NYU pledges to establish a Washington Square Arch Preservation fund that will provide at least $15,000 per year for maintenance of the Arch after the restoration work is complete so that none of us will ever find ourselves again having to
view that beloved and beautiful monument through a chain link fence."

The restoration project will entail a full reconstruction of the Arch and include interior structural stabilization and careful conservation of the fragile exterior marble façade and artwork. Upon completion, the immediate area around the Arch will be reopened for the public's enjoyment. The funding, totaling $2.9 million, will be used to stabilize Washington Square Arch's interior and to conserve exterior sculptural elements. During the conservation process, the faces of Washington will be restored to their original splendor. The angels on either side of the arch, known as spandrel panels, will be revitalized. In addition, the ornamentation, rosettes and trophy panels will be renovated, and the entire structure will receive a complete cleaning.

The Washington Arch was first conceived as part of the 1889 centennial celebration of the inauguration of George Washington as the nation's President on the steps of Federal Hall. The first Arch, designed by Stanford White and constructed of wood and plaster staff, was erected 100 feet north of Washington Square. Afterwards a group of prominent citizens including former President Grover Cleveland and the architect Richard Morris Hunt formed a committee to sponsor the construction of a permanent Arch, also designed by Stanford White. By 1892 the Arch was largely complete but awaiting the carving of the architectural ornament and pier sculpture.

The marble exterior of the Washington Square Arch has been subject to severe urban conditions that have resulted in general deterioration of the stonework. The decorative carvings consisting of the festoons, frieze, rosettes, trophy panels, spandrel panels, allegorical bas-reliefs, and statues have been substantially compromised by severe erosion and stone-loss. Water seepage, pollutants, roosting birds, and vandals have contributed to the widespread deterioration of the masonry surface. These outside forces have also lead to the erosion of sculptural components including the two faces of President Washington that were installed on the arch's north face in 1918.

The restoration project is expected to be complete in a year.

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