Veterans monument at Burrell’s Stewart School gets $8,000 facelift

After a portion of the veteran’s monument in front of Stewart Elementary School along Leechburg Road toppled earlier this year, state Rep. Bob Brooks, R-Murrysville, and others kicked in $8,000 to fix the deteriorating memorial for residents who served in World War II.

Repairs started last week on the stone and bronze monument, and the work is expected to be completed in time for Veterans Day on Nov. 11, according to Eric Felack, Brooks’ chief of staff.

Contributing to the project are Brooks, Lower Burrell VFW, Lower Burrell American Legion and the City of Lower Burrell.

Brooks’ contribution came out of his own pocket, not state funds. He is donating his entire salary as state representative to various causes within his House district.

A short ceremony celebrating the refurbished monument is planned for Veterans Day sometime in the afternoon, according to Felack.

The stone monument, about 4 feet high and 8 feet long, has brass plaques that display the names of U.S. soldiers who served in the first half of the 1940s from what was then Lower Burrell Township. The monument was erected in front of Stewart school sometime in the late 1940s, according to Felack.

Over the years, the monument’s sandstone and mortar joints have been deteriorating.

Mike’s Bronze Restoration of Finleyville is cleaning and sealing the stone to guard against weathering, according to Felack. New fabricated bolts will be used to re-attach the plaque, Felack said.