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Start Westward Monument protected by Temporary Cover, Bronze Replica being Discussed

Posted on: 07/21/2020
By  Jacob Krantz
 
A number of monuments and plaques throughout Marietta, Ohio have experienced significant weathering over the years, one of the most notable being the Start Westward Monument in the center of East Muskingum Park.
 
 
Marietta Mayor Josh Schlicher announced in June that a temporary structure would be put in place and that a permanent structure is being designed.

"There is a committee that is in the process of designing not only for the preservation, but also for the improvements of East Muskingum Park," he said. "Preservation of the monument and the historic pylons that are along the street were all dedicated in 1938 and really haven't had that much done in that length of time. The cover is a start to the preservation process."
 
 
The monument was designed by Gutzon Borglum, best known for sculpting the presidential busts on Mount Rushmore, and dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938.
 
 
The Mayor says that the Start Westward Monument/East Muskingum Park Restoration Committee appreciates the history in East Muskingum Park and they are doing their best to keep that history alive and well.

"We are trying to do the best we can to preserve it for centuries to come," he continued. "There is also talk about maybe casting it in bronze and making a replica of it in bronze. So, we are not really sure of how it is going to go in the future but there is several different options. The statue itself would be preserved in a museum or in a closed environment if it was replaced with a bronze statue, but nothing is firm yet."
 
 
The money that will be put toward this project will be from grants and federal sources. The Mayor reports that very little local money will be used.
 

Local News

Start Westward Monument protected by Temporary Cover, Bronze Replica being Discussed

The Start Westward Monument honors the pioneers who established Marietta as the first permanent settlement of the Northwest Territory.

 

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