Restored to its ‘Glory’
Staging ahead of the renovation of the landmark Shaw 54th Regiment Memorial is taking shape on Boston Common across from the State House as contractors begin work on the expanded site for the striking Civil War memorial.
“Site preparation will continue for the next several weeks by the contractor, Louis C. Allegrone Construction, as they begin setting up their work operations and protections in the work zone inside the fencing,” the Friends of the Public Garden organization said in a statement Tuesday. As the work proceeds, scaffolding around the memorial will be delivered and installed.
“Once the bronze sculpture is fully protected the contractors will begin the preliminary investigation of the bronze to understand the relationship of the back of the bronze to its stone backing, prior to full removal,” the statement continued.
The organization, which is partnering with the city on the $3 million project, added, “The 900 feet of fencing around the site will be prepped for the installation of the interpretive signage as well as directional signage. We are expecting that the signage will begin to be installed in segments at the end of next week, probably starting with the photo representation of the Shaw 54th Regiment Memorial on the Beacon Street side.”
This project will temporarily remove and restore one of the Common’s most noticeable memorials, a large bronze tribute to the
Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment.
The setup across the street from the State House will now include “interpretive signage” including “museum-like panels” and letters from Shaw, the white colonel who led the black regiment.
The monument honors the famed regiment of black troops from Boston, led by Col. Robert Gould Shaw, which spearheaded an attack on the Confederate Fort Wagner near Charleston, S.C., during the Civil War, suffering nearly 50% causalities.
They were the first allblack regiment recruited in the North to see battle in the war. Created by sculptor Augustus Saint Gaudens, the bas relief depicts the troops marching to battle with Shaw astride his horse alongside.