How the Wild West Came to Washington: History and Conservation of the Q Street Bridge Buffalos
THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2005, 7 P.M.
FREE
DUMBARTON HOUSE
2715 Q STREET, NW
Reservations Recommended: 202-337-2288, ext. 222
Lecture Format
Welcome
William S. Birdseye, Director, Dumbarton House
Introduction
Jill Wiley White, Coordinator, Save Outdoor Sculpture!
Alexander Phimister Proctor
Phimister Proctor Church (“Sandy”), Director, Alexander Phimister Proctor Museum
Glenn Brown, Architect of Dumbarton Bridge and History
Tony Wrenn, Archivist and Architectural Historian
History of Q Street (Dumbarton) Bridge
Jeff Nelson, Co-owner of Dischord Records, Washington, D.C.
Buffalo Conservation Treatment
Nicolas Veloz, Sculpture Conservator
An effort is underway to conserve the four magnificent bronze Buffalos, suffering from nearly 100 years of neglect and acid rain. They flank either side of the Q Street Bridge, which connects the Dupont Circle and Georgetown neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. Created by renowned sculptor Alexander Phimister Proctor in 1914, the Buffalos were selected to “guard” the bridge and to symbolize the dream of the Western frontier, while serving as a reminder of America’s nostalgic past.
An assessment funded by Save Outdoor Sculpture! recommended pressure washing and a crushed walnut shell (used as an air abrasive) cleaning, followed by two applications of hot wax protective coating to enable the sculptures to resemble their original appearance. The conservation treatment and maintenance is estimated to cost $85,000.
The Buffalos need your help! Please send your tax-deductible contribution to: Buffalo Monument Restoration Project, c/o The Dupont Circle Conservancy, 2112 Ward Court NW, Washington, DC, 20037-1209. For more information, contact Sandy Church at 206-390-7230 or sschurch@sprynet.com.
Special Thanks To: Citizens Association of Georgetown; Dupont Circle Citizens Association; Dumbarton House; Dupont Circle Conservancy; Kalorama Citizens Association; Cosmos Club Historic Preservation Foundation; Save Outdoor Sculpture! (sponsored by Heritage Preservation and the Smithsonian American Art Museum); the A. Phimister Proctor Museum; and Lowell E. Baier & Wiley T. Buchanan III, Buffalo Monument Restoration Project Co-Chairmen.
For previous Preservation Spotlights, click here.
