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Brooklyn’s iconic Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch is back—and looking better than it has in decades. After more than two years under wraps, the 132-year-old monument has emerged from an $8.9 million restoration project that scrubbed off a century of grime, patched up structural damage and gave the Arch a new lease on its very stately life.
Unveiled at a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday, the restoration marks the first major upgrade to the arch in nearly 50 years. Funded by mayoral allocations and led by the Prospect Park Alliance, the sweeping renovation tackled everything from replacing the crumbling roof to restoring its ornate bronze statuary and cast-iron spiral staircases.
No detail was too small or too historically significant for the project. With the original blueprints lost to time, the Alliance’s in-house architects used radar and magnetic imaging to digitally map the arch’s guts before reinforcing it with steel supports and a new drainage system. Mortar samples were tested in labs to match the original 19th-century Rosendale cement, while damaged granite was replaced with stone from the same region in Maine as the original supplier.
Energy-efficient lighting now spotlights the arch’s bronze masterpieces by Frederick MacMonnies and others, including the once-toppled quadriga sculpture that famously fell from the arch in 1976, a collapse that eventually sparked the founding of the Prospect Park Alliance.
But the glow-up didn’t stop at the arch itself. The surrounding plaza and berms also got a facelift: Nearly 200 native trees were planted, invasive vegetation removed, crumbling bluestone repaired and a new low steel fence replaced a long-standing chain-link eyesore. The upgrades earned the city’s highest preservation honor, the Lucy G. Moses Award.
City officials turned out to celebrate the arch’s long-awaited return. “The Grand Army Plaza Arch stands not only as a gateway to Prospect Park, but as a powerful symbol of Brooklyn’s history, resilience and pride,” said Mayor Eric Adams. NYC Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa called it “a tribute to the New Yorkers who gave their lives in the Civil War,” and said the upgrades reflect that “New Yorkers deserve the best from their public realm.” Prospect Park Alliance President Morgan Monaco added, “This makes the arch a true monument of the people, welcoming all into Prospect Park and signifying that this is a place where all in our community are celebrated and seen.”
For those eager to see the refreshed interior up close, the Urban Park Rangers will lead special tours on Saturday, June 28. Space is limited, so hopefuls must enter a lottery by June 8.