Washington Buffalo Sculptures Saved
One of Washington’s most historic pieces of public art has been revitalized with the conservation of the four buffalo statues of the Q Street (Dumbarton) Bridge.
The buffalo sculptures before, during,
and after conservation treatment.
Photos by Michael Beidler, Dupont
Circle Conservancy.
Sculpted in 1913 by Alexander Phimister Proctor, one of America's most prolific and successful sculptors of public monuments, the buffalo were believed to have been the largest single-piece bronze castings in U.S. history. Gracing each corner of the Q Street Bridge in Rock Creek Park, the sculptures stand an impressive 8 feet tall by 14 feet long.
The American buffalo was selected to “guard” the bridge and to symbolize the dream of the Western frontier, while serving as a reminder of our country’s past.
Almost 100 years of the harmful effects of weathering and acid rain took a heavy toll on the monuments. An independent evaluation, funded by SOS!, was performed earlier this year.
The treatment for the four bronze sculptures, performed by Jensen Conservation Services, Inc., included pressure washing to clean the corroded bronze metal; removal of graffiti with solvents and torches; and the application of a hot chemical patina and a paste wax layer, followed by the final pigmented wax layer.
In May, several citizens groups gathered at the Cosmos Club to learn more about the history of the bridge and buffalo monuments, as well as the conservation project. There was a second public event at the Dumbarton House Museum chaired by SOS! These events raised public awareness of the buffalo statues conservation project.
A fund-raising program succeeded in fully funding the project, with the Dupont Circle Conservancy as the 501c(3) managing the funds. The DC Department of Transportation, National Architectural Trust, and The Cosmos Club Historic Preservation Foundation awarded grants. Many individuals and local citizens donated funds as well.
Some organizations supporting the project include the Citizens Association of Georgetown, Cosmos Club Historic Preservation Foundation, Dupont Circle Citizens Association, Dupont Circle Conservancy, Kalorama Citizens Association, SOS!, and the A. Phimister Proctor Museum in Anacortes, Washington.
A contemporary of Frederic Remington and Charles Russell, Proctor created mainly heroic statues all over the country, including the Princeton Tigers and Denver’s Bronco Buster. The Q Street Bridge buffalo statues are one of several Proctor works in the Washington area. A hunting friend of Teddy Roosevelt, Proctor was asked to carve Buffalo heads for a White House mantelpiece, which are still on display today in the State Dining Room.