Summer 2024

The statue of General Ignacio Zaragoza stands tall at approximately 10 feet near the Goliad State Park and Historic Site (TX). It is a full-length portrait of the General wearing trousers and a long military coat with epaulets which is belted with a sash at the waist. He holds a sword with his proper left hand. The hilt of this sword had mysteriously disappeared and needed to be recast and attached. Research into the history of the sculpture found that there were two of these sculptures created: one for Goliad and the other for San Agustin Square in Laredo, Texas. The hilt of the sculpture located in Laredo was still intact.

To ensure precision in replicating the hilt, OnAim traveled to Laredo, Texas, to take a mold of the duplicate General Zaragoza statue. OnAim then coordinated with a local Houston foundry to cast the hilt in bronze. Once complete, the hilt was taken to Goliad.

On site, the statue was first cleaned with brass brushes, removing dead wax, and preparing the hand for brazing. A rod was welded into the hilt for structural stability, then brazed onto the hand after cleaning and preheating. Bronze spacers ensured level contact, and post-heating prevented weld cracks. Once cooled, the hilt was patinated using two different solutions to aesthetically match the rest of the statue.

The sculpture underwent a thorough cleaning, including soap, water, mineral spirits, and a degreaser rinse, followed by a protective hot wax treatment. Finally, the concrete platform was treated with D/2 biocide to prevent biological growth.