It's time for Billy Penn's once-a-decade makeover
The bronze icon atop City Hall will be hidden behind scaffolding for a month or so while the work is done.
William Penn is getting a makeover.
It is time for the 37-foot tall bronze statue of the founder of Pennsylvania sitting high atop City Hall to get the sculpture version of a spa day treatment with a bath, a laser treatment, wax and buff.
But this treatment will take more than a day. Think four weeks to six weeks, weather permitting.
It has been 10 years since the sculpture's last conservation treatment. Prior to that, it underwent makeovers in 1987 and 1996, according to the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy.
The installation of the scaffolding needed for the project should be completed on Wednesday, Berg said. After that, crews from Moorland Studios of Stockton, N.J., will begin the process.
A low-pressure water treatment and specialized soap and brushes will be used to remove the dirt and corrosion and address damage caused by atmospheric pollutants, winds, and — of course — bird poop, Berg said.
The surface of the statue has tiny pits that were caused by the casting at the foundry, Tacony Iron Works, Berg said.
"We use a laser to remove the corrosion from those pitted areas," she said.
A protective layer of wax will be applied and buffed to make sure there is an even coating, she said.