NPS Fort Pulaski

The WLCC performed preservation treatments on various artifacts, including prison bars, embrasure bars, a drawbridge mechanism and counterweights, and artillery at Fort Pulaski National Monument in Savannah, Georgia, from 2020-2023. At this site, our historic preservation specialists applied their extensive knowledge of preservation treatments for large outdoor artifacts gained from years of experience working with similar artifacts at Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park.

Our preservation specialists worked closely with National Park Service Exhibit Specialists to choose the historic artillery and architectural objects that needed care and conservation work on site. The treatment protocol involved the use of a pressurized, super-heated water and steam blasting system to remove the existing, failing coatings from the artifacts. The use of a non-abrasive blasting medium allowed us to maintain the integrity of the existing surface and any remaining inscriptions. The artifacts’ substrate was consolidated using chemical procedures to stabilize the surface before applying a marine industrial coating system that our testing has shown to be highly effective in aggressive coastal and marine environments.