Trump administration spending $5M to restore, gold-plate Lincoln Memorial statues

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The Interior Department on Thursday said it would regild the four gold-plated Arts of War and Arts of Peace equestrian statues near the Lincoln Memorial.

Each of the statues were sent as a gift to the U.S. from Italy about 75 years ago.

The new regilding project is slated to cost $5.1 million and marks the latest million-dollar effort to renovate or update existing architecture in the nation’s capital. Most recently, President Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum have touted updates to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

“We’re auramaxxing Washington, D.C. ahead of America’s 250th birthday,” the department wrote in a post on social platform X, embracing a Gen Z lifestyle term focused on maximizing your “aura.”

The administration said preparations for America’s 250th birthday celebrations are accelerating, resulting in the first regilding of the four statues since 1971. The effort was first reported by NOTUS.

The National Park Service has contracted The Gilders’ Studio to perform the renovations.

The Maryland-based company specializes in architectural gilding and decorative finishes with a focus on conservation of monumental gilded and painted sculpture, according to its website.

It was previously awarded a $225,854.10 contract to regild the First Infantry Division Monument in the President’s Park near the White House during the Biden administration and an $81,943 contract to paint and regild the American Expeditionary Forces Memorial site, which is a part of the National World War I Memorial, during the first Trump administration.

In 2008, The Gilders’ Studio also received a $6,000 contract from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for regilding.

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America 250

Arts of Peace statue

Arts of War statue

Donald Trump

Doug Burgum

Interior Department

Joe Biden

Lincoln Memorial

regilding

The Gilder’s Studio

Trump administration

U.S.-Italy

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