The James Tanner Amphitheater (originally unnamed) at Arlington National Cemetery was designed by Brig. General Montgomery C. Meigs, Quarter Master General of the U.S. Army, and constructed in 1873. The Amphitheater served as the main public meeting space until the construction of the larger Memorial Amphitheater in 1920. A marble speaker’s podium, designed by DC architect John Smithmeyer and carved by William Struthers & Sons of Philadelphia, was added in 1880.

Kreilick Conservation, LLC was retained in 2018 to perform conservation treatment of the Amphitheater’s historic metals. The scope of work included: paint removal, repair, and recoating (“bronzing”) of the cast iron column bases and capitals on the Rostrum; replacement of the protective column caps on the forty-six (46) Ambulatory piers and the twelve (12) Rostrum columns; paint removal, repair and repainting of the ferrous metal handrail stanchions on the Rostrum; paint removal, repair and repainting of the wooden handrails; and reduction of graffiti and scratches on the Rostrum podium. Below is the multi-step process of “bronzing” the column capitals: before treatment, after paint stripping, after priming, during metallic paint application, after clear coat application and installation of column caps.