Public Square Historic District, Watertown, New York

The Governor Roswell P. Flower Monument, located in the Public Square Historic District in Watertown, New York, was unveiled in 1902 to honor the only native northern New Yorker to have been elected governor of the state. The entire monument is approximately 18-feet-tall. The heroic-size bronze sculpture was commissioned in 1900 to Augustus Saint Gaudens, and to his brother, Louis Saint Gaudens, who was also an artist. Henry Bacon, the architect, collaborated on the commission by designing the granite pedestal. The bronze was cast by the Henry-Bonnard Bronze Company of New York City.

Conservation Solutions, Inc. (CSI) performed the first comprehensive treatment of this monument since its installation nearly 100 years earlier. The goals of the treatment emphasized minimal intervention by using the least aggressive means possible to achieve the most successful conservation results. CSI conducted prior testing to determine the most effective methods and materials for the treatment.

CSI cleaned the statue’s granite base to remove biological growth, carbon crusts, and general staining. The large chips in the stone were repaired using stone dutchman cut from stock salvaged from other site stones. Mortar removal and replacement of all joints was accomplished. The bronze sculpture was thoroughly cleaned to remove remnants of old coatings and corrosion. The sculpture was then fully repatinated using traditional hot-applied methods and a wax coating was applied to help protect the bronze substrate from the elements. Maintenance training was provided by CSI at the completion of the project to help the town maintain the sculpture on its own.

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