Historic Johnson City Arch To Be Reassembled Next Month

The unexpectedly long project to repair and restore Johnson City's Square Deal Arch should finally be completed within several weeks.

Village officials are advising motorists that a section of Main Street near the Johnson City-Binghamton line will be closed while the structure is reassembled.

Electronic display signs will alert drivers to an upcoming detour on Main Street in Johnson City. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)

Timothy Sherman, village public works supervisor, said traffic will be detoured around the work site starting October 8.

While the detour could last for a month, Sherman said he believes the project to reassemble the arch might be accomplished in about two weeks.

Architectural plans for the Square Deal Arch restoration project. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)

He recently visited the Rochester-area company that was retained for precast concrete work associated with the restoration. He inspected the pieces which are to be shipped back to Johnson City October 6.

Workers from Lupini Construction in Utica will reassemble the arch. The company started working on the arch in April 2024. It quickly became apparent the structure's condition was much worse than previously believed.

The cornerstone was located on the east side of the Johnson City arch. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)

The restoration job initially was to have been accomplished with the arch remaining in place. The plan was changed when it became apparent repairs and reconstruction could not be done without disassembling the structure.

Endicott Johnson Shoe Company workers began building the arch in April 1919. Dedication ceremonies for the structure and a companion arch in Endicott were held on Labor Day 1920.

WNBF NEWS VIDEO: A look back at the Square Deal Arch on January 15, 2024.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com.