INFORMATION ON RESTORERS
(OUTDOOR MONUMENTS)
Earl D. Goldsmith, The Woodlands, Texas
[Editor's note: Earl passed away March 6, 2018.]
Note: Due to passage of time, some of the contact people mentioned below may no longer be at the addresses, phone numbers, or screen names given. E-mail addresses have been "phonetically" displayed (username at domain dot com). Please "translate" them yourself by replacing the appropriate "@" and "." symbols and type them into your e-mail program. This helps deter the harvesting of e-mail addresses by Internet spam robots.
Information on the repair or restoration of Viquesney's miniature Doughboy can be found on this page.
The Bessemer, Alabama, Liberty, Kentucky, Mason City, Iowa, Marion, Ohio, and St. Bernard, Ohio Doughboys have all been restored by Mercene Karkadoulias (now deceased). Mercene’s company is probably now Karkadoulias Eleftherios Bronze Art Co., in Dayton, OH.
The restoration work on the Chicago, Illinois Doughboy that was rededicated at Soldier Field in the fall of 2003 was performed by Andrzej Dajnowski of Conservation of Sculpture and Objects Studio, Inc., 900 Des Plaines Ave., Forest Park, IL 60130.
Chicago's "Spirit of the Fighting Yank", Viquesney's tribute to the G.I. of WWII, was excellently restored by Jane Foley of Litas Liparini Restoration Studio, Elmhurst, IL
The Herrin, Illinois, Doughboy Committee chose Medwedeff Forge & Design, a firm in Murphysboro, Illinois, to do the restoration work on its Doughboy.
Naperville, Illinois had a very extensive restoration in 2002-3 done by Giorgio Gikas, Venus Bronze Works, 13401 Mount Elliott St., Detroit, MI, 313-891-5151. Among other things, he replaced the left hand, bayonet and rifle. Venus Bronze Works has performed other Doughboy restorations, the latest (November 2019 - May 2020) being the Doughboy at Wheeling, West Virginia.
Repairs to the Spencer, Indiana Doughboy vandalized in November 2008 were done by Adam Nahas of Cyclops Studios, Bloomington, Indiana. Cleaning maintenance has also been performed by Himec Corp. of Tell City, Indiana.
Winchester, Kentucky had a major restoration in 1986 performed by conservators from Washington University, St. Louis, MO.
Winchendon, Massachusetts had a 1997 restoration by Jeffrey Bronness of Royalston Arts Foundry, P. O. Box 89, 15 Taft Hill Road, Royalston, MA 01368, 978-249-8847. His work included making a new hand, rifle and bayonet.
The New Ulm, Minnesota Doughboy was destroyed by vandalism in 1995 and entirely rebuilt in bronze by Innocast Execuline, 1315 Sixth Street, Howard Lake, Minnesota, 55302, 1-800-253-2178. The company used molds made from the original parts of the destroyed statue to create the replacement. They also retained those molds and used them to create another outstanding bronze replacement for the city of Jamestown, Kentucky, whose original Doughboy was destroyed in an automobile accident in 2008.
Information on the repair or restoration of Viquesney's miniature Doughboy can be found on this page.
The Bessemer, Alabama, Liberty, Kentucky, Mason City, Iowa, Marion, Ohio, and St. Bernard, Ohio Doughboys have all been restored by Mercene Karkadoulias (now deceased). Mercene’s company is probably now Karkadoulias Eleftherios Bronze Art Co., in Dayton, OH.
The restoration work on the Chicago, Illinois Doughboy that was rededicated at Soldier Field in the fall of 2003 was performed by Andrzej Dajnowski of Conservation of Sculpture and Objects Studio, Inc., 900 Des Plaines Ave., Forest Park, IL 60130.
Chicago's "Spirit of the Fighting Yank", Viquesney's tribute to the G.I. of WWII, was excellently restored by Jane Foley of Litas Liparini Restoration Studio, Elmhurst, IL
The Herrin, Illinois, Doughboy Committee chose Medwedeff Forge & Design, a firm in Murphysboro, Illinois, to do the restoration work on its Doughboy.
Naperville, Illinois had a very extensive restoration in 2002-3 done by Giorgio Gikas, Venus Bronze Works, 13401 Mount Elliott St., Detroit, MI, 313-891-5151. Among other things, he replaced the left hand, bayonet and rifle. Venus Bronze Works has performed other Doughboy restorations, the latest (November 2019 - May 2020) being the Doughboy at Wheeling, West Virginia.
Repairs to the Spencer, Indiana Doughboy vandalized in November 2008 were done by Adam Nahas of Cyclops Studios, Bloomington, Indiana. Cleaning maintenance has also been performed by Himec Corp. of Tell City, Indiana.
Winchester, Kentucky had a major restoration in 1986 performed by conservators from Washington University, St. Louis, MO.
Winchendon, Massachusetts had a 1997 restoration by Jeffrey Bronness of Royalston Arts Foundry, P. O. Box 89, 15 Taft Hill Road, Royalston, MA 01368, 978-249-8847. His work included making a new hand, rifle and bayonet.
The New Ulm, Minnesota Doughboy was destroyed by vandalism in 1995 and entirely rebuilt in bronze by Innocast Execuline, 1315 Sixth Street, Howard Lake, Minnesota, 55302, 1-800-253-2178. The company used molds made from the original parts of the destroyed statue to create the replacement. They also retained those molds and used them to create another outstanding bronze replacement for the city of Jamestown, Kentucky, whose original Doughboy was destroyed in an automobile accident in 2008.
Polich Tallix, of Rock Tavern, New York, has been awarded contracts to repair or replace the damaged cast zinc Viquesney Doughboy at Harrison, NY, and to refurbish the pressed copper Viquesney Doughboy at Bethel, CT. The company has now been acquired by UAP.
The Wentworth Military Academy, Lexington, Missouri, Doughboy underwent a substantial restoration in 2004 by Rob and Mayda Jensen of Jensen Conservation Services, 13515 C Street, Omaha, Nebraska, 402-691-0100. The Jensens performed a modest (far less extensive than at Wentworth) restoration of the Cherokee, Oklahoma Doughboy in 2002. The Jensens also performed a restoration of the Appleton, Wisconsin Doughboy in 2006 for rededication November 11.
November 11, 2018: After a complete refurbishment by Acutech Metal Works of Columbia Falls, Montana, the Doughboy was rededicated in a short ceremony at the Veterans Home.
Dover, New Jersey had a restoration in 2001. The work was by John Cappelano of Easton Memorial Company (now Easton Monument Studio) in Easton, Pennsylvania. Cappalano also restored Roselle Park, New Jersey’s Doughboy in 1999.
July 18, 2012: Belmont, North Carolina's "Spirit of the Fighting Yank" was repaired by Conservation Solutions (now acquired by EverGreene).
July 17, 2013, Akron, Ohio: A refurbishment project was completed by Paul Thomarios, of Thomarios Construction, which cleaned, bronze plated, and sealed the statue.
The Fostoria, Ohio Doughboy was restored in 1995 by Tom Podnar, McKay Lodge Fine Arts Conservation Laboratory, Inc., 10915 Pyle-South Amherst Rd., Oberlin, OH 44074, 440-774-4215, mckaylodge (at) gmail (dot) com. Podnar and McKay Lodge also performed a major restoration of the Verona, Pennsylvania Doughboy in 2006.
The Marion, Ohio Doughboy was taken down in February 2008 for restoration by Columbus Art Memorial, Inc.
Warren, Ohio's Doughboy underwent conservation treatment perfomed in 1991 by Csaba Kur, and again in 2003, including replacement of the bayonet.
Repairs, cleaning and a preservative application were performed in October/November 1999 on the Henryetta, Oklahoma Doughboy by John Free, The Bronze Horse Foundry, Pawhuska, Oklahoma.
Furman University at Greenville, South Carolina completely replaced their original sheet bronze Doughboy with a true bronze cast in 2004. The outstanding work was performed by Maria Kirby-Smith. Anderson, South Carolina had a replacement installed in 2011. The work was again done by Maria J. Kirby-Smith, using the same molds she created for the Furman U. replacement. She can be contacted at (803) 312-4527 or at her website www.mjkirby-smith.com.
Johnson City, Tennessee's Doughboy was taken down September 14, 2012, and sent to Gardner Paint Services, 129 L P Auer Rd, Johnson City, TN 37604, for a re-coating and other refurbishment.
The New Braunfels, Texas Doughboy was hit by a drunk driver in 1986 and repaired by Washington University Technology Associates, Inc. of St. Louis, Missouri.
Appleton, Wisconsin had its original zinc Doughboy replaced with a cast bronze replica in 2017. The work was done by MaxCast, of Kelona, IA.
The Rock Springs, Wyoming Doughboy was restored by artist/sculptor Deb Uhls in a project that included cleaning, and replacement of the face and rifle. Deb Uhls can be reached at amw (at) abarismetalworks (dot) com.
The Aberdeen, Washington Doughboy was repaired in 2018 by Valley Bronze, 307 W. Alder Street, P.O. Box 669, Joseph, OR 97846, (541) 432-7551, info (at) valleybronze (dot) com, after suffering vandalism.
The Enosburgh, VT, Historical Society has received a $5,000 matching grant toward repairs and refurbishment of the Lincoln Park Doughboy Statue in Enosburg Falls. Funding for the project was made possible through the sponsorship of Captain Jedediah Hyde Chapter, Morrisville, VT, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. East Coast Copper in Colchester is handling the renovation work, which includes repairing cracks, removing old paint, buffing, and refinishing the statue.
The Wentworth Military Academy, Lexington, Missouri, Doughboy underwent a substantial restoration in 2004 by Rob and Mayda Jensen of Jensen Conservation Services, 13515 C Street, Omaha, Nebraska, 402-691-0100. The Jensens performed a modest (far less extensive than at Wentworth) restoration of the Cherokee, Oklahoma Doughboy in 2002. The Jensens also performed a restoration of the Appleton, Wisconsin Doughboy in 2006 for rededication November 11.
November 11, 2018: After a complete refurbishment by Acutech Metal Works of Columbia Falls, Montana, the Doughboy was rededicated in a short ceremony at the Veterans Home.
Dover, New Jersey had a restoration in 2001. The work was by John Cappelano of Easton Memorial Company (now Easton Monument Studio) in Easton, Pennsylvania. Cappalano also restored Roselle Park, New Jersey’s Doughboy in 1999.
July 18, 2012: Belmont, North Carolina's "Spirit of the Fighting Yank" was repaired by Conservation Solutions (now acquired by EverGreene).
July 17, 2013, Akron, Ohio: A refurbishment project was completed by Paul Thomarios, of Thomarios Construction, which cleaned, bronze plated, and sealed the statue.
The Fostoria, Ohio Doughboy was restored in 1995 by Tom Podnar, McKay Lodge Fine Arts Conservation Laboratory, Inc., 10915 Pyle-South Amherst Rd., Oberlin, OH 44074, 440-774-4215, mckaylodge (at) gmail (dot) com. Podnar and McKay Lodge also performed a major restoration of the Verona, Pennsylvania Doughboy in 2006.
The Marion, Ohio Doughboy was taken down in February 2008 for restoration by Columbus Art Memorial, Inc.
Warren, Ohio's Doughboy underwent conservation treatment perfomed in 1991 by Csaba Kur, and again in 2003, including replacement of the bayonet.
Repairs, cleaning and a preservative application were performed in October/November 1999 on the Henryetta, Oklahoma Doughboy by John Free, The Bronze Horse Foundry, Pawhuska, Oklahoma.
Furman University at Greenville, South Carolina completely replaced their original sheet bronze Doughboy with a true bronze cast in 2004. The outstanding work was performed by Maria Kirby-Smith. Anderson, South Carolina had a replacement installed in 2011. The work was again done by Maria J. Kirby-Smith, using the same molds she created for the Furman U. replacement. She can be contacted at (803) 312-4527 or at her website www.mjkirby-smith.com.
Johnson City, Tennessee's Doughboy was taken down September 14, 2012, and sent to Gardner Paint Services, 129 L P Auer Rd, Johnson City, TN 37604, for a re-coating and other refurbishment.
The New Braunfels, Texas Doughboy was hit by a drunk driver in 1986 and repaired by Washington University Technology Associates, Inc. of St. Louis, Missouri.
Appleton, Wisconsin had its original zinc Doughboy replaced with a cast bronze replica in 2017. The work was done by MaxCast, of Kelona, IA.
The Rock Springs, Wyoming Doughboy was restored by artist/sculptor Deb Uhls in a project that included cleaning, and replacement of the face and rifle. Deb Uhls can be reached at amw (at) abarismetalworks (dot) com.
The Aberdeen, Washington Doughboy was repaired in 2018 by Valley Bronze, 307 W. Alder Street, P.O. Box 669, Joseph, OR 97846, (541) 432-7551, info (at) valleybronze (dot) com, after suffering vandalism.
The Enosburgh, VT, Historical Society has received a $5,000 matching grant toward repairs and refurbishment of the Lincoln Park Doughboy Statue in Enosburg Falls. Funding for the project was made possible through the sponsorship of Captain Jedediah Hyde Chapter, Morrisville, VT, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. East Coast Copper in Colchester is handling the renovation work, which includes repairing cracks, removing old paint, buffing, and refinishing the statue.
