The Repair and Preservation of the Bennington Battle Monument Begins
May 11, 2022
Bennington Battle Monument, the tallest man-made structure in the State of Vermont commemorates the Battle of Bennington, a pivotal victory for American forces on the New England front of the American Revolution. On August 16, 1777, Vermont’s Green Mountain Boys, the New Hampshire Militia, and volunteers from Massachusetts, defeated British troops charged with capturing provisions stored at the Bennington military supply depot—the site where the monument stands today.
The Vermont Division for Historic Preservation (VDHP) is undertaking a year-long comprehensive assessment of the monument to better understand its condition and needs for repair and preservation. The assessment will include an analysis of the stone, steel staircase, electrical systems, and elevator.
Today, engineers and materials conservators will repel from the top of the Monument to examine the stone and mortar, providing a live feed of information that will result in advanced imaging of any structural issues directly onto preservation plans.
The investigation team brings together structural experts with national expertise and is focused on identifying root causes of distress in the Monument. The data collected will provide detailed plans of the areas in need of repair and an accurate project budget. These repairs will ensure the long-term stability of the Monument as a destination for visitors both in-state and out. Working in collaboration with the VDHP and the Vermont Department of Buildings and General Services (BGS) will be renovation specialists from Stevens & Associates, Silman Structural Engineers, Vertical Access, Atkinson-Noland & Associates, Dubois & King, Allegrone Construction, and Lerch Bates.