Describe the characteristics of the Restoration and rededication in this artwork's Dedication.
In 2008, the City of Asheville reviewed the monument's condition, determining that it had failing mortar and corroded stone and needed to be cleaned. In 2012, the 26th North Carolina, a nonprofit Civil War re-enactment and preservation group, raised $115,000 towards the restoration. The Vetust Study Club was a major donor. In April 2015, the monument underwent its $126,000 restoration (equivalent to $154,324 in 2023), with the city contributing the difference of $11,000. Repairs took four weeks and involved scaffolding around the monument and temporary construction fence. Restoration was undertaken by a professional conservator.As part of the restoration, plans were made to remove the copper box placed under the cornerstone by the Masons in the 1897 groundbreaking ceremony. On March 30, 2015, workers attempted to remove the Masons' time capsule in preparation for their work but had to break the side of the box because the cornerstone had shifted over time. The crew used this extreme tactic because the restoration work included cleaning the stone and mortar with water, which would have damaged the box and its contents. The contents were removed and restored by staff from the Western Office of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. Heather South, archivist with Cultural Resources, indicated that the contents would probably require a significant amount of conservation work given that it was buried for more than 100 years. One important discovery was the enclosed issue of the Colored Enterprise newspaper, because no other known copy of this African American newspaper from Asheville survives.On June 6, 2015, there was a rededication ceremony where another bronze plaque was placed on a small sloped granite block in front of the west face of the monument. The plaque was dated May 15, 2015, and listed the names of the donors to the restoration project. On September 18, 2015, a new time capsule was placed at the monument, to be opened in 2115. The new copper time capsule included some items from the 1897 time capsule, along with new additions, including a document signed by 1,000 residents of Asheville.
Civil War North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources South Asheville Masons