de la Montanya Monument

The de la Montanya Monument was constructed in 1909 to house the family’s remains. The monument is an ornate, elaborate structure carved from soft Colusa sandstone. Subjected to multiple earthquakes and years of deferred maintenance, the structure had become unsafe and the monument was temporarily shored and enclosed with scaffolding.

Functioning in a design-build capacity, ARG/CS was retained by Cypress Lawn Memorial Park to find a preservation solution for the monument. Staff architects, masonry specialists, and conservators determined what historic fabric could be saved. Due to the advanced state of the deterioration of the monument’s upper section, selective demolition was necessary to address life-safety issues and the deteriorated steel frame within the structure.

De-installation of the upper masonry required rigging equipment to safely lower the units to the ground so that they could be documented, labeled, and stored in a covered location on the property. To prevent moisture intrusion all roofing and gutters were recoated, and all failing mortar joints were removed and replaced with a compatible hydraulic lime pointing mortar. In addition to the selective demolition any salvageable loose or cracked masonry was stabilized by setting or pinning. Threaded fiberglass rods were used in conjunction with epoxy grout to pin loose and unstable sandstone masonry to the structure’s existing stable masonry. Upon project completion, the monument was visually integrated into the landscape as a stabilized relic.