Summary: On August 11, the Department of the Army in a congressionally mandated report stated that the department will seek to repair the 1932 marble monument at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington Cemetery rather than replace it with a replica as previously planned. The National Trust for Historic Preservation subsequently commended Arlington National Cemetery, the Department of the Army, and the Department of Veterans Affairs for agreeing to conduct the much-needed repairs of non-structural cracks rather than replace the monument. The congressional report, however, further states that officials have not ruled out replacing the monument with a replica in the future, with the thought that the high-grade, white marble from the same quarry might become increasingly hard to procure down the road.

As reported September 20, 2007, in AIArchitect, the high grade, white marble monument currently bears non-structural, cosmetic cracks along its grain. The story ran in response to an alarm raised by the Trust, which reports that thousands of people subsequently contacted the cemetery and Congress to call for repair rather than replacement. In response to this public demand, Congress enacted Section 2873 of the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, calling for a "Report on Plans to Replace the Monument at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia."

The report states that the repairs, necessary to stop further damage due to water infiltration, will last 12 years and cost $65,000, as compared to an estimated $2,200,000 for a replica. The Virginia Department of Historic Resources and the National Park Service's National Center for Preservation Technology and Training will assist with the repair work, which will be completed in compliance with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

For more information, visit the National Trust Web site.