Arkansas Memorial vandalized?
Nope, preservation work in progress
Gettysburg, PA: A passing rainstorm pushed through the area in the late afternoon of July 22, 2020. After the clouds parted, some park visitors who passed by the Arkansas Memorial quickly concluded that the memorial had been vandalized as it was now covered with what appeared to be a dark colored foreign substance. Some quickly took to social media with photos of the memorial to proclaim the alleged vandalism. However, the reasons for the dark colored foreign substance on the memorial turned out to be very beneficial rather than dubious in nature.
Monument preservation staff at Gettysburg National Military Park sprayed a biological cleaning solution, commonly referred to as D2, on the Arkansas Memorial on the afternoon of July 22, 2020 as rain began to fall. This biological cleaning solution requires the surface to be cleaned to be wet before application and passing summer rains provide a perfect opportunity to quickly and effectively begin this process. The solution was allowed to set up overnight and monument preservation staff began cleaning the memorial the following morning on July 23.
During any rain event, it is common practice for the park’s monument preservation staff to apply D2 Biological Solution to monuments in order to kill any bio growth, such as mold, algae, and lichens, on the stone. Staff have found, over many years of experience, that passive application of this cleaning agent in the rain has provided favorable results. This has been most notable on the Gettysburg National Cemetery headstones and the Soldiers’ National Monument marble figures. The rain wets the stone and then provides a rinsing action for the solution. When applied, each of the bio growths (mold, algae, lichens, etc.) that is present on the memorial stone turn different colors when it is being killed. When the reds, yellows, and oranges mix over time, the overall color turns very dark. This is what was reported as vandalism by park visitors.
Monument preservation staff will focus on applying as many D2 Biological Solution applications as needed in a wash, rinse, repeat style until the Arkansas Memorial is completely clean. The residual yellow and orange "staining" that is seen is dead bio growth that will be bleached out by the sun over the next 3-5 days. This work and the process is all part of our normal monument maintenance.
Gettysburg National Military Park staff appreciates public interest in protecting the many battlefield resources, but we cordially ask visitors who suspect monument vandalism to contact park staff first before taking to social media. This can best be done by email via the Contact Us link on our website, send us a Direct Message on our Facebook page, or contact any park employee anywhere they might be working on the battlefield or at the Museum and Visitor Center.
Click through the slide show below to see the progress…
1. Arkansas Memorial at 7 am on 7-23-20 prior to first pressure washing.
2. First pressure washing of the day.
3. After first pressure washing of the day.
4. Monument preservation staff spray another layer of D2 biological solution.
5. The spray bottles sit near the Arkansas Memorial as the biological solution soaks.
6. Monument preservation staff gently clean the Arkansas Memorial before a second pressure washing.
