 The project to clean and restore the three limestone seals above the main entrance of the McKim Building on Dartmouth Street is complete!
Carved by the renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens in the 1890s, these three works of art — representing the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the City of Boston, and the Boston Public Library — are historic symbols of civic and cultural pride.
Over the past century, they have endured Boston’s outdoor urban environment, resulting in weathering and the buildup of thick, discolored crusts on the stone — up to half an inch in some areas. Thanks to support from a private foundation, the Library’s conservation partners at Daedalus Inc. were able to carefully document, inspect, clean, and repair the façade, ensuring the integrity of the seals for generations to come.
Now, for the first time in decades, visitors can appreciate the original limestone coloring and sculptural details — just as Saint-Gaudens intended.
Image: The City of Boston seal before the restoration (left), and after (right).Â