The Trump administration is spending $5 million in taxpayer money to restore four bronze statues near the Lincoln Memorial by regilding them with nearly pure gold, as part of a broader effort to reshape Washington, D.C., ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary. The project focuses on the Arts of War and Arts of Peace statues, which will receive a coating of 23.75-karat gold leaf under a contract awarded in April to Maryland-based The Gilders’ Studio. According to reporting cited in the article, the National Park Service fast-tracked the agreement because of a tight July 4 deadline, rather than using a full competitive bidding process.
The statues, originally built in 1951, have reportedly suffered from decades of corrosion and structural deterioration. Earlier repairs in the 1970s did not fully solve the damage, leaving the monuments in need of more extensive restoration. The new work is being framed as both preservation and a visual upgrade tied to America’s upcoming semiquincentennial celebration.
The regilding is part of a much larger $95 million renovation campaign connected to President Donald Trump’s push to overhaul the capital. Planned improvements include marble repaving, fountain restorations, and upgrades to parks and public spaces across Washington. An Interior Department spokesperson said the administration is fulfilling Trump’s promise to make the city “Safe and Beautiful,” pointing to low crime rates and ongoing renovations across the capital. The spokesperson also said the Arts of War statues are being regilded ahead of the 250th anniversary and noted that this is the first such regilding in 50 years.
Other projects in the campaign include multimillion-dollar work at Freedom Plaza, Meridian Hill Park, and Logan Circle, along with restoration work on fountains near the National Mall and marble paving around the Simón Bolívar statue. The administration has also spent more than $13 million on a controversial renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, a project that drew criticism after reports of unusually high contractor profit margins and overhead costs.
Trump had initially said the reflecting pool project would cost $1.8 million and take only one or two weeks, but the work ended up lasting more than a month and cost $13.1 million. An Interior Department spokesperson said the higher cost reflected the need to accelerate the timeline, requiring more workers, materials, equipment, and longer hours.
The gold restoration effort also echoes Trump’s personal design preferences inside the White House. Since returning to office, the Oval Office and Cabinet Room have been redesigned with gold-plated moldings, ornate trim, framed portraits, gilded mirrors, and decorative medallions, reinforcing the administration’s broader embrace of gold-themed decoration in public spaces.
