CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Veterans Memorial at the state capitol won’t be available for veterans or anyone else to view this holiday weekend because of a restoration project that’s currently underway.
State Department of Administration spokeswoman Diane Holley-Brown said the memorial needed a general update after more than 15 years on the state capitol grounds.
“We’re doing stone restoration, waterproofing, masonry repairs, ensuring that we have a complete lighting replacement. Some plumbing work, the plumbing work addresses the pool areas,” Holley-Brown said.
The state hired a contractor to do the work for $1.5 million on the two-story oval shaped monument and it’s scheduled to be done by early-November in time for Veterans Day.
“It was time to make some necessary repairs and restorations,” Holley-Brown said, noting the work has nothing to do with vandalism at the site that happened a few years ago.
Construction fence currently surrounds the memorial as the work continues. Holley-Brown said one of the most important aspects of the work will be new lighting.
“It will really showcase, especially in the evening hours,” she said. “So it will really be something for visitors to come see.”
The memorial contains the names of more than 10,000 state residents who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
Ohio-based Geiger Brothers is the contractor on the project.