The 125-year-old Tower of Victory, located on the site of Washington’s Headquarters in Newburgh, is in need of restoration. The total cost of the project is $1.6 million.
The upper deck of the Tower of Victory, located on the site of Washington’s Headquarters in Newburgh, has been closed since the mid-1980s. Fund raising efforts have been ongoing since September 2012 and restoration of the historic structure could begin this summer.
The Tower of Victory was built in 1890 to commemorate George Washington’s work during his time in Newburgh, where he not only ended the Revolutionary War and prevented a mutiny, but won the peace. The Tower was commissioned by Secretary of State Robert Todd Lincoln, son of President Lincoln, on the 100th anniversary of the end of the Revolutionary War. It is the only monument funded by Congress to mark that anniversary.
In the 1950s, a hurricane damaged the roof of the historic structure. In 1953, the roof was removed, opening up the rest of the structure to water damage. Water has penetrated the stone joints and steel beams. Without a roof, the tower is separating and falling apart.
Short of putting on a new roof, the Palisades Interstate Parks Commission (PIPC) attempted to add decking on the viewing platform, but nothing will protect that stone from water penetration, said Susan Smith, director of cultural resources and development for the PIPC.
“After many research studies and engineers and architects coming in, we decided the best way to preserve the structure is to put the roof back on,” said Smith.
The total cost of the project is $1.6 million and will include replacing the roof, repointing the stone work, cleaning the statues, repairing the gates, repairing the steel I-beams that will support the roof, and some landscaping.
As of last week, PIPC was short $50,000 of its goal, but Smith said she’s confident all the money will be secured once the project is ready to start. PIPC recently received a $500,000 grant from the New York Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. Additional donations have come from American Express, the Thompson Foundation, the Kaplan Foundation, the Charina Endowment Fund, Inc., as well as other local individuals.
The donation from American Express helped pay for the engineer and architect to create the drawings and specifications for the project. The contract is complete and the project is ready to go out to bid on April. 1. Smith is hoping to start construction by late summer.
To make a donation, visit palisadesparksconservancy.org/donate.php.
