Easton Architects has been retained as the Preservation Architect for the restoration of the Bennington Battle Monument. Easton Architects joins a team of twelve consultants under the direction of Stevens & Associates and TYLin/Silman Structural Solutions to study the structural and architectural performance of the masonry obelisk and ultimately develop a scope of work to prepare design documents for holistic restoration. Easton Architects recently completed a Planning & Feasibility Study that outlines the major work phases, budget considerations, and key milestones to analyze progress on the work. Following an intensive initial phase of on-site assessment, the team determined additional and more detailed investigative work was necessary to fully assess and analyze the structural conditions and deterioration of the 132-year-old masonry load bearing structure.

In addition to structural engineering consultation, the team consists of experts performing non-destructive testing, stone sound testing, civil engineering including soil bearing tests, elevator consultant, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection engineering, and architectural preservation, restoration and rehabilitation.

The primary concern is the continued deterioration of the load bearing walls, with significant damage due to cracking, water infiltration, a lack of routine maintenance, and inadequate ventilation. Stone saturation and high humidity have led to an oversaturation of the stone and inability to perform watertight restoration on the exterior. The next phase will see the design of a watertight scaffolding enclosure system, which will allow Kohler Ronan Engineers to design and implement dehumidification tests to begin reducing moisture content in the interior, reduce saturation levels in the stone and allow for the initial phase of exterior masonry restoration to proceed.