The call rang out by the US Park Service. “Help us move over one million artifacts.”

From the First Bank of the United States up to the National Constitution Center in Center City Philadelphia, the goal of the project was to move artifacts that have stood the test of time, but now must stand the test of transport.

Moving a half-mile down the road may sound easy, but getting 300 years of history to a new destination is anything but.

Included on the list of artifacts

Independence Hall’s 2800-pound brass clockworks from 1828, which had been restored, including the removal of over 18” of pigeon dung that had accumulated over the past 300 years.

How to move treasures like this, be they fragile or weighty, needs an experienced team, a plan and the equipment. There is no luxury of relying on luck or hoping for the best.

It takes a team

From curator and communications, to logistics, handlers and equipment operations.

It meant calculating every phase of the move - analyzing the phases of the move and measuring equipment in Zoom meeting after Zoom meeting. Hours were spent examining pieces - from fragile chandeliers and delicate teapots, to silverware, well-worn furniture and historic doors. We studied city traffic patterns, including bus routes and truck deliveries.

Our team knew that artifacts like these need protection, so generations beyond us can marvel at how far we’ve come.

With our team and equipment in position, we set our month of planning into motion. Down the steps. Onto the trucks. The treasures of the 1700’s made their way down the road to their new home.

Oh, and it rained…a lot.

Moves, whether big or small however, cannot afford to succumb to the whims of Mother Nature. It is planning for what could happen that keeps her at bay.

If you are looking for a company with a history of helping businesses and families move their own treasures, contact us!