The popular Battle of Bennington Monument is closed this week for restoration monitoring. Crew members have been contracted by the state to inspect and remove loose debris on the exterior of the structure. “What we’ve initiated here is a process where every year, before we open, we’re removing any loose materials or anything that could dislodge in the wind,” said Jamie Duggan, the director of preservation for Vermont state historic sites. Duggan said the annual work on the monument gets the state a step closer on a plan to repair the structure: a much more complicated job. A two-year study found that excessive moisture is cracking the limestone that was placed in 1891.State officials have said that the repairs would be complicated and that the estimated cost could be around $40 million, although that is not the final number.“Once we can sort of get the monument back into a state of balance where it’s able to the moisture that absorbs and is able to evaporate out and manage, then we’ll be able to start doing the actual repairs,” Duggan said. Peggy Hammond, who lives next to the monument, said preservation is of the utmost importance to her. “People come here and they want to know the history and the culture. It has meaning for them, they’re looking for it,” she said. Weather permitting, the monument is expected to reopen on Friday.
The popular Battle of Bennington Monument is closed this week for restoration monitoring. Crew members have been contracted by the state to inspect and remove loose debris on the exterior of the structure.
“What we’ve initiated here is a process where every year, before we open, we’re removing any loose materials or anything that could dislodge in the wind,” said Jamie Duggan, the director of preservation for Vermont state historic sites.
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Duggan said the annual work on the monument gets the state a step closer on a plan to repair the structure: a much more complicated job.
A two-year study found that excessive moisture is cracking the limestone that was placed in 1891.
State officials have said that the repairs would be complicated and that the estimated cost could be around $40 million, although that is not the final number.
“Once we can sort of get the monument back into a state of balance where it’s able to the moisture that absorbs and is able to evaporate out and manage, then we’ll be able to start doing the actual repairs,” Duggan said.
Peggy Hammond, who lives next to the monument, said preservation is of the utmost importance to her.
“People come here and they want to know the history and the culture. It has meaning for them, they’re looking for it,” she said.
Weather permitting, the monument is expected to reopen on Friday.
