Lamp Posts Installed at Grant Memorial

Eight bronze lamp posts were recently installed by the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) on the marble pedestal of the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial in Union Square as part of the current restoration project.

These posts are replicas of fixtures first designed and installed by Edward Pearce Casey, the architect for the memorial's pedestal. Each lamp post is made up of 16 separate castings, plus the eagle atop, which are supported by a stainless steel internal post and base which, in turn, is anchored to a new marble base. The bronze is patinated to match the color of the memorial bronze and coated with clear lacquer to protect the metal from corrosion. Inside each translucent polycarbonate globe (originals were glass) are four LED light bulbs to evenly light the globe.

An artist creates a clay model of an eagle to go atop; Workers pour bronze into molds for the replicas; Replica post installed at the Grant Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The original fixtures were in place at the time of the memorial's 1922 dedication, but were not fully lamped and all globes were not installed until 1924. The fixtures were then removed by 1935 at the request of the Commission of Fine Arts. These replica fixtures were sculpted and fabricated by Historical Arts and Castings in Salt Lake City, Utah, based on drawings prepared by AOC Design Services.