Fort Des Moines Monument

Restoration of two damaged historical entrance monuments.

Rebuilt two severely damaged entrance monuments.

Client

Design Professional

General Contractor

Market

Government

Historical

Location

The Problem

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The project initially focused on rebuilding a stone entrance monument at the historic Fort Des Moines that had been damaged several years prior from a vehicle impact, leaving the entranceway in shambles. After securing funding and awarding the bid, a second, separate entrance monument was also struck and damaged right as the contract was being finalized. This created an immediate need to expand the project scope under a tight timeline to address both rebuilds, ensuring the historical site's entrances were rebuilt under the same contract so the work could be expedited.

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Our Solution

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We were very pleased to have the opportunity to work with the City of Des Moines again on this project. Over the years, we’ve partnered with the City on several notable efforts—including City Hall, the Police Department, and the Riverwalk Balustrade—so returning for another project was a natural fit.

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This time, the City engaged architect Ryan Richey to oversee the work. Ryan had recently transitioned from the Iowa DNR, where we completed multiple successful projects together, such as Cedar Rock State Park and Fort Atkinson. Having an Owner–Architect–Contractor team with established experience and trust makes all the difference; communication is smoother, expectations are clearer, and the entire project benefits. We knew from day one it was going to be a strong collaboration.

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The architect put in considerable effort up front and developed a solid plan for the rebuild, which made our work straightforward. Weber Stone supplied the material and was involved early in the process, so the drawings already included a stone layout. From there, our team formed and poured the backup wall, prepared shop drawings, and coordinated the final stone dimensions needed for a clean, accurate rebuild. Overall, the process went very smoothly.

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As we were wrapping up the first monument, the change order to add the second one was scheduled for City Council approval. This required us to pause briefly while the City completed its internal steps. Once approved, we resumed work. Having just completed a similar structure—albeit for a different entrance—allowed the second installation to proceed efficiently and with minimal friction.

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The work :

Custom Stone Fabrication: We collaborated closely with Weber Stone to produce new, historically accurate stone elements to match the original monuments.
Engineering for Durability: Our crews installed a custom reinforced concrete backup wall behind the new stone facades. This allowed us to treat the stone as a veneer system, relying on the poured-in-place concrete for primary structural support.‍
Seamless Integration: The team coordinated the layout and ordering of custom-cut stone sized precisely to interface with the newly poured concrete backing. This ensured a final product that is both historically faithful and structurally robust.

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Project Results

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The crew successfully completed the challenging double-rebuild, delivering two structurally enhanced, historically accurate entrance monuments.

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The project was a rewarding success for the team, demonstrating:

Adaptability: The ability to pivot quickly and incorporate a major change order—the second monument rebuild—without creating substantial delays.
Innovation: Effective use of a reinforced concrete backup wall, including a curved poured-in-place section not typically used for this type of monument and not previously executed by our team.
High-Quality Craftsmanship: Both monuments were rebuilt to a high standard, preserving the visual character and historical importance of the Fort Des Moines entrances for the community and its visitors.
Happy Citizens!!: During our final walkthrough, a local resident pulled over, stepped out of his car, and thanked the team—including the contractor, architect, and City staff—for restoring the monuments the right way. His unsolicited appreciation underscored the significance of the work for the community.

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