ARLINGTON, VA – Over the next several years, Arlington National Cemetery is partnering with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and various offices of the National Park Service to achieve a comprehensive exterior preservation of the Memorial Amphitheater. The preservation work, started in 2014, is being done in anticipation of the Centennial Observance of the burial of the Unknown Soldier in 2021.
Currently, historical architects and carpenters from the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Training Center are focused on preserving the windows and associated hardware at the Amphitheater. In 2016, the architects surveyed the condition of all the windows and doors and specified what repairs needed to be made. Carpenters are working diligently to return the windows to their original design, making them weather-tight and functional.
Recently, the carpenters removed the original windows from their openings at the Amphitheater so that craftsmen could do repairs in a controlled shop environment. Once there, they are able to abate lead paint, remove glass panes, repair damage to the wood sash, reinstall the glass, prime and paint wood, clean and repair the more than 100 year-old bronze hardware, document their work and reinstall the windows.
The carpenters completed work on these windows in 2018. The south half windows are off-site for work and scheduled for reinstallation before Memorial Day. Door rehabilitations will start later in 2019.
Stay tuned for further updates on this restoration project by visiting our website at: www.arlingtoncemetery.mil.
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