Museum will use grant to restore Civil War monument


Bennington Union soldier memorial, featuring a plaque by a local sculptor.

BENNINGTON - Bennington Museum has been awarded a grant of $3,000 from the Robert Fleming & Jane Howe Patrick Foundation to aid in the onsite restoration of an important Civil War memorial.
This historic marker stands on a rise in the ground directly in front of the museum. It features a bronze relief panel of Bennington Union soldiers marching and a plaque created by local sculptor, William Gordon Huff.
Commissioned by the American Legion and presented for a state convention on Bennington Battle Day in 1930, the monument remained under the legion’s care for the next 30 years until ownership was formally turned over to the museum in the 1960s.
The memorial has not been cleaned or tended to in at least 15 years, and restoration is necessary in order to prevent further deterioration. At the end of this month, the Williamstown Art Conservation Center will begin work onsite, focusing specifically on removal of corrosion and vandalism damage, applying a patina and wax treatment, and regrouting seams to prevent water infiltration.
The restoration cost is just under $6,000.
Attention to this memorial comes at a relevant moment as demands for racial equity in America take center stage and Civil War monuments are under great scrutiny. In tandem with the rededication, Bennington Museum intends to develop interpretive programming that will tie Vermont history to the context of current events across the country.
Gifts may be made in support of the memorial restoration cost at benningtonmuseum.org. The museum is open every day except Wednesday, from 10 am to 4 pm, until the month of October.

The Deerfield Valley News

797 VT Route 100 North
Wilmington, VT 05363

Phone: 802-464-3388
Fax: 802-464-7255

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