With less than a week before the Freedom 250 Grand Prix begins, a preservationist group is sounding the alarm about potential damage from the vibrations and noise of race cars driving around the National Mall, while one institution is taking proactive measures.

In a July letter to the General Services Administration, Mary Okin, assistant director of the Living New Deal, expressed concerns about potential damage to historic murals located inside the Wilbur J. Cohen Building, which faces Turn 6 of the race course.

She asked the GSA to take additional steps to protect historic structures from the vibrations caused by the Indy Car vehicles participating in the race. With the possibility of the cars driving over 160 mph, the race may bring adverse effects to the murals “due to vibratory impacts likely with sound waves in excess of 130 (decibels) during the race,” Okin wrote.

“They’re in pretty good condition,” Okin told WTOP of the murals. “The government has done quite a lot to look after them. They’ve been conserved, and in fact, that’s why we know that they are so fragile.”

The building, erected between 1939 and 1940, is often referred to as the “Sistine Chapel of the New Deal” because of its multiple murals from that period. Most notably, it houses two artworks by Seymour Fogel in the lobby of its Independence Avenue entrance, which face the racetrack.

The building is also home to “The Meaning of Social Security,” a three-panel mural which depicts the ills the program was meant to help alleviate.

“These are artworks that celebrate American prosperity and American financial security as a result of Social Security and the New Deal more broadly, which was designed to help ordinary families recover from the Great Depression,” Okin told WTOP.

Okin asked the GSA to take additional steps to protect historic structures from the vibrations caused by the IndyCar vehicles participating in the race.

“Given how important these artworks are, there should be all kinds of protections taken, and also a case made that this race should not happen here,” Okin said. “I don’t think a race like this would ever happen under other administrations, because it’s just foolish and reckless.”

In a statement to WTOP, the GSA said it reviewed the proposed route “for potential impact on our nearby assets and identified no areas of concern.”

“Like millions of other Americans, we fully support the patriotic celebrations happening in our nation’s capital, including the Freedom 250 Grand Prix,” a GSA spokesperson said.

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Sculptures, artwork on National Mall boarded up

Meanwhile, the National Gallery of Art is preparing for the race differently. Multiple outdoor artworks have been boarded up and secured as construction crews work to put barriers around the proposed race course.

WTOP found the gallery’s triangular skylights boarded up, and “Tom’s,” an outdoor sheet metal monument between the West Building and the Sculpture Garden, secured by a wooden barrier.

In a statement to WTOP, spokesperson Chris Abanavas said the National Gallery of Art conducted a vibration study in preparation for the race. Based on the results, the gallery plans to implement “a set of measures to ensure the safety of our staff, visitors, collection and facilities.”

The gallery and The Sculpture Garden face large portions of the proposed track layout.

“While we are not releasing the specifics, I can share that any such measures are only being taken out of an abundance of caution,” Abanavas said, adding that the coverings will be removed later in the summer.

During race weekend, the Smithsonian plans to open the three museums located around the race track to those with Grand Prix tickets. However, the institution did not say if any exhibits or sculptures would be closed due to the race.

The National Park Service, which provided the permits for the race, directed all requests for comment to IndyCar, the racing body putting together the race.

In a statement to WTOP, a Freedom 250 Grand Prix spokesperson said IndyCar has “tremendous respect for the history and the structures” surrounding the race track on the National Mall.

“INDYCAR has successfully hosted races on downtown street circuits in urban areas for decades,” the statement read. “With this excellent track record and the thorough preparation we have done for this event, we do not anticipate any impact on the structures surrounding the circuit as a result of the racing activity at the upcoming Freedom 250 Grand Prix.”

Despite all the protective measures race officials have put in place, Okin said she remains uneasy about holding a race with loud cars so close to delicate artwork on the National Mall.

“I certainly hope that I’m wrong and we’re wrong, and that the murals stay intact, obviously,” Okin said. “But I don’t know that this is worth the risk.”

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