Two monuments to the American Revolutionary War were recently restored after sustaining heavy damage in rains and flooding. The restoration to the Bridge Monument and the Grady Monument was funded by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA).
The National Park Service announced the completion of the repairs Aug. 4, the third anniversary of "the historic legislation that is funding infrastructure improvements in national parks throughout the country," NPS stated in the press release. The monuments are located in North Carolina's Moores Creek National Battlefield.
"The impacts of storms, specifically flooding events, has had severe impacts on these monuments, putting these resources at risk," Moores Creek National Battlefield Superintendent Matthew Woods said in the release. "The work completed on these monuments preserves their integrity and ensures their sustainability for years to come."
The Bridge Monument is the the historic Revolutionary War spot where, on Feb. 27, 1776, Loyalist forces made an attempt to cross the Moores Creek Bridge to capture a fortified Patriot position. Their efforts were met with defeat. Over time, flooding and erosion have caused the Bridge Monument to lean and the stone to sustain stress fractures, the NPS reported in the release. Restoration efforts involved re-pouring the foundation and carefully repositioning the monument to its original location. This repositioning resulted in a height increase of about one foot, and as a result, the monument now stands proudly upright, with all inscriptions fully visible, according to the release.
Grady Monument commemorates Private John Grady of Duplin County, N.C., the first North Carolinian to give his life during the American Revolution. Natural environmental condition and severe weather events such as major hurricanes caused the outdated mortar in the granite base to become unstable, according to the release. The project repaired the surface cracks, resealed and restored the overall appearance of the monument, the NPS reported.
The 2022 GAOA supports improvements to infrastructure and expanding recreation opportunities in national parks and other public lands. It provides permanent and dedicated funding of up to $1.9 billion annually to the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWFC) and the National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund, which support the conservation of natural areas, water resources, and cultural heritage sites across the county.
Additionally, the Act grants funding to address the backlog of deferred maintenance projects within national parks and other federal lands such as the improvement of visitor facilities, infrastructure, and overall access.
