Mansfield, Ohio
Bronze 7'
The Original monument to Civil War veterans was dedicated in 1881 on the Town Square. It proudly stood there until 1976, when it was dropped in an attempt to relocate it to the other side of the square. The old white metal statue fractured into many pieces. The remnants of the piece were also nearly destroyed except for the efforts of Keith Metcalf, a local citizen, who stored the parts in his barn for 20 years.
Michael Kraus was given the job to restore the statue, so it could again be placed on its' worthy pedestal, which remained on the square devoid of the original. Kraus determined that the original piece was too badly damaged in the fall. The hands were completely missing as well as major areas of the coat and pants.
What was left of the original was welded together and Kraus used it as an armature to construct and resculpt missing parts in clay. A uniform surface was developed to unite old and new, then molds made from the reconstruction. Once the molds were taken a bronze copy was cast and the soldier was ready to be reinstalled on his place of honor.
Additional castings from this mold are available for sale, with proceeds donated to the McLaughlin Post of Son's of Union Veterans, Mansfield, Ohio. It was the SUV post, which raised the capitol for the restoration.
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CONTACT INFORMATION:
Michael Kraus
1040 W. Ingomar Rd.
Pittsburgh, PA
(412)364-7815
