Situated in the middle of downtown Girard, PA is the Dan Rice Monument, one of the first memorials in history to honor fallen Civil War soldiers.
As a valuable and longstanding piece of history, the marble monument has endured centuries of natural wear and buildup. To restore the monument to its original beauty and pay homage to Dan Rice and the fallen soldiers the structure was intended for, the Milano Stone & Restoration team thoroughly cleaned the monument.
Continue reading to learn more about the history of the Dan Rice monument and how it was cleaned by our team.
Who Was Dan Rice? His History and Legacy in Girard, PA
Dan Rice was born in New York City in 1823. At age 13, he was hired to deliver a horse to Pittsburgh and eventually found work in the area as a stableboy and jockey. Before long, Dan began performing with a trained pig in a traveling show, and at age 20, started traveling the United States in one of the most popular circus acts in the world.
In the years to follow, Dan managed a profitable circus called “Dan Rice’s Great Hippodrome and Menagerie” and was one of the highest paid performers of his day, making nearly $1,000 a week.
In 1853, Dan brought his circus to Girard, Pennsylvania for the first time. A former animal trainer in Dan's circus convinced him that the location was the perfect place to make his base of operations and thus, Dan built several large barns and buildings in Girard to house his animals and performers when they were not on the road.
Photo credit: Hagan History Center
With his goatee and red, white and blue costume, Dan Rice is thought by many to have been an early version of Uncle Sam. His humor and large circus made him one of the most popular entertainers of his time.
Dan's legacy lives on today through his dedicated Civil War monument in the heart of Girard.
The Dan Rice Civil War Monument
The Erie County Soldiers’ Memorial, commonly referred to as the “Dan Rice Monument” was paid for by Dan Rice and created by sculptor Leonard Volk in 1865, just months after the end of the Civil War. It is believed to be the nation’s first memorial honoring fallen Civil War soldiers.
The 27-foot marble monument is topped by an eagle crutching an American flag, while the base pays homage to both the army and navy with symbols of each.
What Are Monument Restoration Services?
Monument and cemetery restoration services can include a variety of activities and often differ by project. At Milano Stone & Restoration, we regularly offer the following restoration services:
- Cleaning monuments, headstones and other stone structures.
- Realigning headstone rows.
- Fixing broken monuments, memorials and other structures.
- Re-doing or resetting headstone foundations.
- Digging graves.
- Re-leveling the graves.
- Installing new cemetery landscape.
- Relocating or removing monuments and statues.
No matter the restoration project, our goal is the same—restore the structure, city or cemetery to its original beauty without disrupting the integrity of the historic space. To protect the original material, the Milano Stone & Restoration team took extra care when cleaning and restoring the Dan Rice Monument.
>> Related Resource: The Cemetery Restoration Process, Step-by-Step
Cleaning and Restoring the Dan Rice Civil War Monument
After years of natural wear and weather damage, the city of Girard contacted the Milano Stone & Restoration team to fully clean their beloved Civil War monument. Because of the structure’s height, the Milano team had to bring in a lift to reach and clean the upper sections of the monument.
Because the monument itself is made of porous marble, the team used gentle stone cleaning tools and products, including:
- Soft brushes that are safe for marble statues and monuments.
- Sprayers with low pressure.
- A soap solution called D2 that cleans marble even more over time.
Once the monument was cleaned and dry, the team applied a marble sealer to protect the monument from future damage. All-in-all, the restoration project took about three days to complete and has left the city of Girard with a gleaming monument to honor Dan Rice and those who died defending their country.
Request a Quote for Restoration Services
Milano Stone & Restoration has over 50 years of experience in stoneworking and memorial restoration and cleaning. We are one of the few stonework providers in Ohio that offer full cemetery restoration services and have worked with a variety of cemeteries and community parks across the nation to restore their headstones and monuments back to near-original condition. Take the first step to restore your community’s cemetery by contacting our team today.
