Well that didn’t last long: Last week we reported that the once-in-a-blue-moon restoration of the William Penn statue would begin September 14. But we’ve just been informed that Billy’s bath has been postponed. Again.
The city’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy told Curbed Philly that the cleaning has been delayed because the restoration of the bronze statue is warm weather-dependent.
"I am hoping to do it in the spring," public art director Margot Berg said in an e-mail.
The restoration process involves about two weeks of scaffolding, followed by the actual cleaning. That includes a wash with detergent, patching up any signs of wear and tear, and a buffer.
Although Billy Penn will have to stay dirty for a few more months—his last cleaning was in 2004—the silver lining is that City Hall’s observation deck doesn’t have to close down, at least until the spring.
- The William Penn statue restoration begins September 14 [Curbed Philly]
- The William Penn statue is getting a makeover [Curbed Philly]