National Park Service Sherman Park Rehabilitation

Dedicated in 1903 and featuring the bronze equestrian statue of Civil War General William T. Sherman atop a granite platform, the Sherman Park monument was overdue for restoration. The focus of the rehabilitation combined the monument restoration work with other improvements around other areas of the park, including a new irrigation system, lighting, landscaping, site furnishings and stone pavers. The bronze showed the greatest neglect, with desperate need of restoration as well as repair and replacement of portions of the monument’s four bronze soldiers.

The proximity of Sherman Park to the White House posed several significant considerations for the team to manage. All construction traffic had to receive security clearance through a U.S. Secret Service checkpoint. The park perimeter was fenced off and tourists were provided an alternate travel pathway. Century-old willow oak trees were rooted within the restoration site, and it was important for those trees to remain protected. As a result, tree protection and hand-digging were required, and a great deal of the construction was completed during the winter months while the trees were dormant.