Shaw 54th Memorial Restoration Project on the Boston Common

The Partnership to Renew the Shaw 54th Memorial Regiment today unveiled new interactive programming designed to bring alive the stories of the monument’s namesake during its upcoming removal and 6-month long restoration.

More than 100 people attended the event “Shaw 54th: Restoring the Monument and the Dialogue on Race” on the Boston Common, marking the next phase of the $2.8 million project. As lead reconstruction Partner, the National Park Service selected Louis C. Allegrone, Inc. and its team of bronze conservators at Skylight Studios to carefully dismantle, restore, reconstruct, and stabilize the Robert Gould Shaw and 54th Massachusetts Regiment Memorial. A respected leader in the field of historic structure preservation since 1921, Allegrone is known for its work on the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site in Hyde Park, NY and the Beacon Cinema in Pittsfield, MA. Reconstruction of the Shaw 54th Memorial will begin in Spring 2020 and is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

“We hope this project will provoke us all to think about where we stand today on the issues of race, freedom, and justice – and to repair the cracks that exist in our public dialogue,” said Liz Vizza, Executive Director of the Friends of the Public Garden. “This restoration effort coincides with the solemn year-long commemoration of the 400th anniversary of slavery in North America. As we rebuild the Memorial’s foundation, we give new voice to the promise of American values that its story embodies.”

Revealed at today’s event was the Virtual Shaw & 54th Regiment Memorial augmented reality app, which allows the public to learn the rich history behind Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ famous public monument and make the Memorial visually available to anyone with a smartphone or tablet. The app is available as a channel on the Hoverlay browser, in the iOS App Store, or Android GooglePlay, produced by Boston-based AR company Hoverlay in partnership with Emerson College professor John Craig Freeman. The experience features the first physically accurate, life-size recreation of the historical monument in photo-realistic 3D. Narrated by three local African American leaders – author and former CEO of The Partnership, Inc. Carol Fulp, Northeastern University Professor Ted Landsmark, and historian and 54th Regiment reenactor Emmet Bell-Sykes – the virtual monument comes with four holographic stories (available in seven languages) about the men who served, the artist, the original 1897 dedication, and the monument's social and political role over time.

“This monument is a source of inspiration and strength. It remains as ever a platform and public invitation to discuss the issues of racial equity and human rights. It encourages us to engage in shaping a national public narrative, one we enlarge together by expanding our understanding of the contributions all of us have made to American history,” said Marita Rivero, President & CEO of the Museum of African American History. “Let’s use this moment when the Shaw 54th Memorial is in the spotlight to renew our efforts to be part of a larger conversation about our shared future.”
"This restoration is a testament to the passion and expertise we have in Boston, and I'm grateful for the Partnership that is making this possible," said Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh. "The Shaw 54th Regiment Memorial is one of the great pieces of public art in America and honors the Black Americans in Boston who gave their lives during the Civil War. I'm proud that this monument exists in Boston, and this restoration will help ensure we never forget their sacrifice."

“Over the past year, the excitement about the Restoration has brought new life to this corner of the Common. As we examine the many uses and pieces of America’s first public park through the Boston Common Master Plan, it’s encouraging to know that historic landmarks like the Shaw 54th Memorial continue to play an important role in today’s civic experience,” said Boston Parks and Recreation Commissioner Ryan Woods.

While the monument is offsite, beginning in Spring 2020, residents and visitors to the area will be delighted with life-size interpretive signage along 900 feet of construction fencing, revealing the story of the Civil War, the 54th Regiment, and the Memorial that celebrates it. Created by Visual Dialogue, the museum-like panels will feature images of handwritten letters from Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, enlistment signs recruiting black men to the cause, and photos of the men who served in the 54th Regiment. A pop-up visitor center called the “Shaw Mobile,” which explores the bravery and sacrifice of the 54th Regiment through primary source photos and documents, will also be active on the Common during the restoration period in 2020.

“From the anti-lynching protests of the early 20th century, to the civil rights movements of the 1960s and 70s, to last month’s Youth Climate Strike, the Shaw 54th Memorial has served as a crucial platform in our ongoing national story,” said Rose Fennel, Deputy Regional Director of the National Park Service. “As we prepare to commemorate the upcoming 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, the National Park Service is intentionally looking at the American Revolution in broader terms, not simply as a series of battles and important documents, not as a fixed period in time, but rather as an ongoing work in progress and an unsteady march to freedom.”

For more information on the Shaw 54th Memorial, the restoration project, and the Partners, please visit http://www.shaw54thmemorialrestoration.org

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About the Friends of the Public Garden
The Friends of the Public Garden has worked as an essential partner of the City of Boston for 49 years to renew, care, and advocate for the Boston Common, Public Garden, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall. The three parks are national treasures and are located in the heart of our city. The Friends care for 1,700 trees, more than 50 acres of lawn, and 42 pieces of public art, in partnership with the City, including renovation and activation of the Brewer Fountain Plaza on the Common and restoration of the George Robert White Memorial Fountain in the Garden.

About the City of Boston Parks and Recreation Department
The City of Boston Parks and Recreation Department creates and maintains clean, green, safe, and accessible public park land and open space throughout Boston. Our department is responsible for 217 parks, playgrounds and athletic fields, two golf courses, 65 squares, 17 fountains, 75 game courts, 16 historic and three active cemeteries, urban wilds, four High School Athletic Fields, and approximately 125,000 trees, all covering 2,346 acres, 1,000 of which comprise the historic Emerald Necklace. We are also responsible for more than 35,000 street trees.

About the Museum of African American History
The Museum of African American History is a not-for-profit history institution that was founded in 1967. It is nationally and internationally known for its collection of historic sites in Boston and Nantucket. The Museum of African American History inspires all generations to embrace and interpret the authentic stories of New Englanders of African descent, and those who found common cause with them, in their quest for freedom and justice. Through its historic buildings, collections, and programs, the Museum expands cultural understanding and promotes dignity and respect for all.

About the National Parks of Boston
The National Parks of Boston is a collection of three National Park Service sites – Boston National Historical Park, Boston African American National Historic Site, and Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park. Established by individual legislation and for designated purposes, the three units have come together under a unified organizational umbrella to collaborate in ways that celebrate our cultural heritage, reconnect people to history and nature, and provide outdoor recreation opportunities on land and on the water.

Press Contact:
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