Mayor Tom Henry and Parks & Recreation Director Al Moll joined the Allen County Courthouse Preservation Trust, Daughters of the American Revolution, Conservation of Sculpture and Objects Studio, Inc. and the Old Fort to rededicate the Anthony Wayne statue in Freimann Square today.
The Courthouse Preservation Trust donated $125,000 to improve the statue and the area around the statue. "We are so pleased with the restoration of the General Anthony Wayne statue,” said Madelane Elston, President of the Courthouse Preservation Trust. “Thank you to the City of Fort Wayne, the Parks Department and especially the Trust Board Members and donors who made this possible. We would also like to recognize Andrzej Dajnowski, who so beautifully restored the statue."
Conservation and restoration to the General Anthony Wayne monument was provided by the Conservation of Sculpture and Objects Studio, Inc. (CSOS). Without having to use any chemicals or air abrasives, CSOS utilized their custom built laser system, using only light to remove the corrosion and old coating from the sculpture, without risk of damaging the surface. The monument was brought back to its original historic patina and received a new protective coating.
“In addition to the restoration of the Anthony Wayne monument, the Parks Department, the City of Fort Wayne, and the Courthouse Preservation Trust partnered to improve the northwest corner of Freimann Square where Anthony Wayne sits,” said Director Moll. “The improvements included installing new park benches and we’ll have new lighting soon to highlight the statue. The landscape was also redesigned to create a more open and inviting space for the public to view and experience the monument.”
CSOS specializes in the conservation and restoration of art and architecture and is world renowned as the first company to use laser technology for large scale conservation treatments in the United States. The company director, Andrzej Dajnowski, has his Doctoral degree in laser cleaning works of art. His son, Bartosz Dajnowski, has an MS in art conservation science and he designed and built the laser system that was used to clean the Anthony Wayne statue. More information about CSOS and the Dajnowskis can be found at: http://www.csosinc.com/
"General Anthony Wayne's military accomplishments are far reaching as there are over 100 locations in our country named after him,” said Karen Gerni, Regent of the Mary Penrose Wayne Chapter of the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution. “The founder of our chapter, Mrs. Frances Haberly Robertson, served on the original Anthony Wayne Monument Commission, and it is an honor for the Mary Penrose Wayne Chapter of the DAR to play a part in the rededication of the General Anthony Wayne statue."
More information about the Mary Penrose Wayne Chapter of NSDAR can be found at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~inmpwcd/.
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