Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, New York

The Bailey Fountain is a bronze and stone statuary fountain designed and built by Sculptor Eugene Savage and Architect Edgert Swagourt in 1932. Archival records reveal that the fountain underwent a complete renovation in 1956, and re-patination in 1965. By the 1990s however, the fountain was in poor shape as the water works were not operational, and hadn’t been for some time. The pool was also substantially out of level, due to ground settling and/or heaving, and there were components missing from the statuary (most notably Neptune’s trident, which was stolen, and the east Trion figure, which had been moved into storage).

CSI provided a conditions assessment and analysis, planning, recommendations and specifications in preparation for the treatment implementation, which included the conservation of all historic materials. Repairs to the pool and base of the fountain required that it be removed and reconstructed entirely. Cracks in the stones were repaired with epoxy adhesives and pinned with stainless steel dowels. The pool itself required reconstruction atop a more adequate foundation, as well as the installation of a new waterproofing system. The mechanical systems of the fountain had to be reconstructed completely, in order to replicate the original appearance and function of the fountain works, while meeting contemporary standards for water usage and safety.

As for the statuary itself, the missing bronze elements were recast and recreated, the surfaces were cleaned of loose corrosion products and surface soiling to remove graffiti, remnant wax, and all previous cleaning residue. Once cleaned, the statue was repatinated to match the original appearance and recommendations from the NY City Art Commission Advisory Group.

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