After the recent incident in which one of the columns on the amphitheater stage toppled over, I asked the Historic Preservation Department and Facilities Services to consider ways in which we might best address the safety concerns. The columns are held in place by a single short pin in their base. Until the mid 1970’s, there was an overhead trellis which stabilized the columns but that deteriorated and collapsed. It has only been in the past year that we have experienced the columns being pushed over (vandalized) or inadvertently being toppled.
There are two apparent options:
- Stabilize the columns through some type of structural means that does not damage them, or
- Carefully remove the columns using a crane and store them in a safe and secure location for use in the future.
The Historic Preservation faculty (Doug Sanford and Michael Spencer) will provide their recommendation(s) in about a month. In the meantime, plastic fencing, tape and sand bags have been placed around the stage to deter folks from occupying the area in and around the columns.
Please contact me if you have questions.
Richard R. Pearce
Acting Vice President for Administration and Finance and CFO
University of Mary Washington
1301 College Avenue
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
(540) 654-1020
(540) 654-1162 (fax)
rpearce@umw.edu
About Marty Morrison