Iconic symbol receives some special care on Capitol Campus

By Adam Wilson | The Olympian • Published September 07, 2008

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Passersby won't see one of the iconic images associated with the Capitol — the 22-foot Winged Victory statue — until the end of this month.

As part of a refurbishing project, about 50 damaged areas of the statue are marked with tags and are being studied.

"The majority of serious issues are caused by moisture. This has been in a dry atmosphere for two weeks, and we're still getting drops. That means the castings are holding a lot of water," said Larry Tate of Fabrication Specialists, the team handling the refurbishing.

In the next few weeks, Fabrication Specialists will allow the statues to drain, look for mold inside, repair the corrosion, seal leaks and heal cracks. Then it will apply a new patina to restore the statue's original brown color, followed by a special sealant to protect it against the weather.

"I'd say we'll address 90 percent plus, of the issues. Maybe more," Tate said. "All in all, it's in pretty good condition. It needs to be maintained, and this is a good time to do it."

Wrapped in four stories of scaffolding and shrouded in white plastic, Winged Victory stands next to the Capitol. It includes bronze statues of Nike, Greek goddess of victory, a Red Cross nurse, a sailor, a soldier and a marine, which have corroded since they were installed in 1938. The monument stands more than 20 feet off the ground and is a memorial to World War I veterans.

Sculptor Alonzo Lewis gave his figures fine features, despite mounting them on a tall granite base. The soldier has eagles on his buttons; the marine's boots are strapped to his backpack with detailed knots; the butt of the sailor's Springfield rifle is slotted — a feature only the birds normally would be able to see.

The plastic shrouds hiding the monument from public view have allowed the refurbishing team to work in controlled conditions as it stripped away a brassy gold paint applied in 1989. Tate called the gold coat "unthinkable" for a major statue made of bronze.

Using citrus solvents, his team has removed most of it, revealing the statue in its raw, remarkable state.

"I'm impressed by the level of detail on the figures. When you're up close, you can really see it," said state Sen. Karen Fraser, who got a close-up view of the statue recently. The Thurston County Democrat helped secure the $167,000 budget for the project.