Philadelphia

Philadelphia to Restore William Penn Statue High Above City Hall for 1st Time in Decade

A 124-year-old William Penn statue sitting atop Philadelphia's City Hall is poised for a makeover.

City officials tell The Philadelphia Inquirer restoration efforts of the 37-foot tall statue will begin in late August.

The statue will be washed, scrubbed, waxed and buffed. The work is expected to take three to four weeks. The observation deck will be closed during that time.

The Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy plans to share images and updates of the restoration using social media and a film and photo gallery.

City Public Art Director Margot Berg says the effort is funded by $125,000 in private money, a $25,000 National Endowment of the Arts grant and $100,000 in city money.

The statue was last restored in 2007.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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