“Reconciliation Monument”- Moses Ezekiel Confederate Memorial
Project Feature:
Rigorous Conservation & Engineered Removal of the Arlington Reconciliation Monument
Client: Team Henry Enterprises / U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
Location: Arlington National Cemetery, Section 16
Scope: Conservation Assessment, Custom Crating Design, Artifact Packing, and On-Site Disassembly Oversight
The Challenge: Safeguarding History in an Active National Sanctuary
In December 2023, under a non-discretionary congressional mandate, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and prime contractor Team Henry Enterprises were tasked with the delicate removal of the bronze elements of the Moses Ezekiel Confederate Memorial (often referred to as the Reconciliation Monument).
Because the monument stood at the heart of Section 16, surrounded closely by historic gravesites and the final resting place of the sculptor himself, the physical extraction demanded absolute structural accountability and zero margin for error.
Our firm was brought on as the specialized conservators to oversee and ensure that every square inch of the monument's 32 life-sized bronze figures, four cinerary urns, and towering classical elements were meticulously assessed, stabilized if necessary, documented, and packed for secure, long-term transit and storage.
Precision Preservation Engineering
Managing a complex multi-figure bronze monument requires balancing fine art conservation with heavy industrial rigging. Our role focused on creating a preservation workflow to guarantee structural integrity throughout the disassembly process.
1. 3D Assessment and Custom Rigging Interface
Before a single crane line was tensioned, the monument’s structural stress points we evaluated. We collaborated with Team Henry, his riggers, and USACE to determine how the massive, asymmetric bronze components would behave when separated from their granite base.
2. Engineered Crating and Internal Bracing
Standard packing methods cannot handle the unique vulnerabilities of century-old cast bronze. Custom-built wooden crates and internal bracing were tailored to the center of gravity and surface contours of the major sculptural elements.
Conservation Standard: Every crate utilized archival-grade, chemically inert cushioning materials to eliminate friction, prevent abrasion of the historic patina, and guard against micro-climatic shifts during transit.
3. Rigorous Rigging and Disassembly Oversight
On-site, our conservators served as the critical technical eye for the USACE and Team Henry. We monitored every cut, lift, and placement, ensuring that strap pressures were evenly distributed and that no neighboring headstones or turf were impacted by the heavy machinery.
The Results
Thanks to a seamless collaboration with Team Henry and the USACE, all major bronze components were safely de-installed, securely packed, and transported to a secure holding facility without a single incident of structural deformation or surface damage.