Update from the Preservation Department

The big ongoing project in the Preservation Department is the restoration of the Parlor. This restoration project will return the Parlor to the 1790's Federal Period of "Light Horse Harry" Lee. "Light Horse Harry" made this room larger while making it his most fancy space in the Great House. The Preservation Department has been working with the architects and architectural historians of Mesick Cohen Wilson Baker Architects, LLP, in order to determine what needs to be done to complete this restoration project.

After extensive investigation and research, the evidence to direct us in the restoration of the Parlor has been found. One item that will be done is the removal of the window seats (see image left) from the window embrasures. The window embrasures will then extend to the floor and contain paneling that will match the existing Federal Period wainscoting (see image below). The next major change will be the installation of a plaster cornice. The exact design of the 1790's cornice is not known, but the original dimensions have been determined. The architects are currently researching other cornices from the same time period in Virginia to help guide them in their design. The paint scheme will also change during the restoration. Through paint analysis it has been determined that the walls will be a yellow-green verdigris while the wainscoting and wood work will be a cream color. These are the biggest changes you will see during the Parlor's restoration.

Another recent project for the Preservation Department is the completion of a Historic Structure Report, also known as a HSR, on the Great House. This report presents an overview of the Great House's physical history from the time it was built by Thomas Lee up until the early restorations of the 1930's. This report was prepared for Stratford Hall by Mesick Cohen Wilson Baker Architects, LLP. The report pulls together years of research along with new research and investigations, and has been an essential guide in the ongoing restoration of Stratford Hall. As we proceed with the room projects, more research and investigation will be added to the HSR. Information from this document will also be incorporated into our tours of the Great House.

Country houses...in England and Wales

Throughout the month of July, I had the good fortune to be able to travel in England and northern Wales as part of the Attingham Summer School, a study program run by The Attingham Trust.*  My classmates included architectural historians, curators, conservators, and preservationists from around the world (Russia, Australia, Switzerland, India, etc.).  For three weeks we traversed the countryside of England and Wales visiting country houses to study their architecture, collections, and the manner in which they present these things to their visiting public.  Some were public museum buildings, but some were private residences.  The ability to see these places and their collections, and discuss them with colleagues of such diverse backgrounds, was amazing.

In attending this program, I hoped to not only learn about the specific sites we were visiting and life in the English country house in general, but I also came with a specific goal of looking for ideas and inspiration to bring back to Stratford Hall.  Because Stratford is in essence an English country house in Virginia, I knew that some parallels would present themselves, and perhaps I could learn some things to help solve mysteries of room use and layout that had puzzled the Stratford staff for some time.  Specifically I was looking to understand service spaces "below stairs" and how the spaces in our lower level might have been used in the 18th and early 19th centuries.  I also wanted to see what other historic houses were doing as far as exhibits and interpretation.  Below, are just some of the things and places that inspired me.  Note:  much of what I show will be from public houses, as most of the private houses do not allow published photography.

Petworth House in Sussex was one of the sites we visited during our first week.  In addition to glorious state rooms and a sculpture and painting gallery, this site has amazing service spaces.  Often you see these sorts of rooms relinquished to staff offices or other purposes.  But Petworth showcases its service areas with great enthusiasm - interpretive signage and knowledgeable docents throughout the spaces.

Here (left), the housekeeper's chamber (you can see her portrait above the fireplace).  The estate also has a dairy building (with ice house below - which we got to tour!) and adjacent cow yard, a wood house (for house's firewood storage), and an early-18th century kitchen block with kitchen, larder, cook's room, scullery, china closet (for storing dishes).  In the 1870s an extension was added with a steward's office (the steward was the household manager).  There was also a bake and brew house at one point, but the structure was removed a few decades ago.

Some were separate buildings (like the dairy/ice house), but others were part of a 'below stairs' block of rooms.  Thinking about these functions in the context of Stratford's lower level was helpful - did we have a brew house, for instance?  Beer was the common beverage in the 18th century - small beer was what children drank - but where did the Stratford beer get brewed?  Something I need to think about...

Erddig in Wales, visited in our third week, had another impressive set of service spaces and a strong servant interpretation.  Here (above), the main house with service wing just visible coming in from the right and extending into the lower level.

Visitors to Erddig are taken on an unusual path - starting with the service areas, and then traveling upstairs to the more "posh" family areas.  Do you think this makes them look at spaces differently?

The 1770s kitchen was originally a separate building, but was eventually connected with the main block of the house, along with a scullery, bake house, laundry, and cook and housekeeper's rooms.  The servants hall in the lower level of the house is original to the 1730s (around the same time as Stratford's main house was built) and features original portraits of servants from the 19th century.  Further study of these spaces and their evolution will be really helpful in our own interpretation....

Chatsworth (have you seen The Duchess?!), a massive private estate in Derbyshire, is beginning to study and interpret their servants and service spaces.  Here (above), you see the impressive Great Dining Room complete with a mannequin exhibiting the livery uniform worn by the public servants.  Adjacent to the dining room, they have a small display in the original mid-19th century Vestibule that discusses how the space was used as a staging area for dining, as well as the larger topic of service (and servants) at Chatsworth during the 19th century.  I like the idea of incorporating service in the discussion of dining in a very visible manner and need to think about how we might do that better at Stratford...

And finally, our last day took us to Attingham Park (after which the trust and program were named) in Shropshire (right).  Hands down, I found the most inspiration for historic house interpretation at this site.  They have a very active and lively set of programs that keep this site alive and relevant to visitors.  Children were invited to follow a trail and find toy mice hidden in some of the rooms (so they could go on the tour with their parents and not get bored).  Docents are well trained and provide up-to-date information on new projects like wallpaper restoration/conservation.  And visitor feedback is sought out daily, so that the site knows what their visitors think.

The interpretation of the house centers around Attingham Rediscovered, an intriguing project that creates continuing change to the historic house.  Faced with a site that visitors found 'cold' and unchanging, the staff now continually work to research and reinterpret their spaces so that visitors come back to see what is new.  Restoration projects happen within sight of the visitors, so that they can ask questions of craftsmen or conservators.  This make the project take a little longer (and cost more), but visitors feel part of the process.  Plus, the staff ask the visitors what they think; what choices they would make along the way.

Getting repeat visitors is a challenge for many house museums, so I was truly inspired talking to the staff at Attingham Park about how they have worked to make visitors feel invested in the site and what is happening within the spaces.  See their AttinghamParkTV channel for a taste of what they are doing.  I'll definitely be watching...

Thanks for traveling along with me as I reviewed some of the highlights of my Attingham Summer School experience.  To say goodbye, a picture snapped at Powis Castle, which had an amazing falling garden...and a couple of very friendly peacocks!

*I was able to participate in this program as the Helena Hayward/Alison Ledes Scholar through the generous support of the American Friends of Attingham, an honor for which I am extremely grateful.

Investigating the House...

If you have been to the Great House in the past couple of weeks, you probably noticed that a few things are out of place. This is due to the fact that we are in the middle of investigations for a Historic Structure Report (HSR). What is a Historic Structure Report you might ask? It is a report that provides historical, physical, and graphical information about a historic structure (you can read the National Park Service's Preservation Brief here). They often include current condition assessments, but ours will not since the Preservation Department conducts assessments on a regular basis.

We have hired the firm of Mesick Cohen Wilson Baker Architects to prepare our HSR. They have been working hard to collect all the historical information they can on the Great House from the past 270 years. Armed with this information and years of experience, a team descended on the Great House last week for three days of intense physical investigation.

Prior to their arrival, we opened multiple probe areas throughout the first floor so they could see what evidence might be behind the plaster. Other physical evidence they examined and scrutinized included nail holes, wear patterns on the floors, scars and patches in the wood work, and wall framing that could be observed from the attic. We are waiting for the team to analyze their finds before we share too much, but I can share one or two discoveries. One question we think we answered is that the unique niches in the East and West Passages appear to be original with a little reworking by "Light Horse Harry" Lee. One other discovery we were not expecting is that the evidence points to a closet being present in the back section of the Nursery that would have been accessible from the adjoining Chamber.

We are very excited about this report being finished and sharing the information with everyone. This HSR will be a invaluable resource for the Preservation, Collections and Education Departments here at Stratford Hall. The HSR will be a guide for all of us as we continue to restore, refurnish, and interpret the Great House for our visitors. And we would all like to thank everyone for their patience as we work to make the Great House an overall better educational experience.

Re-discovering Stratford Hall

It is no secret that visitation at historic sites like Stratford Hall has been declining. This is not a new development, but part of a long-term trend that began over 30 years ago. Careful observers have lots of opinions on why this is happening, but it is clear these trends reflect a significant cultural shift in the way Americans understand the past. In short, being led around an old house and being lectured about the dead (and usually white) occupants is not the attraction it was for our grandparents.

So what to do about it? This is the big question. For those sites that are no longer viable economically, they may be better off as private homes than public institutions. This way, the buildings would be preserved and perhaps occasionally opened to the public. This solution was adopted by Colonial Williamsburg when they sold Carter's Grove. In contemporary Wall Street parlance, however, there are some sites that are "too big to fail." Or putting it another way, their stories have such national significance that they must be preserved as public institutions. Stratford Hall is one of those places.

For this reason, we are embarking on an ambitious effort to remake the Stratford experience in a way that is designed to appeal to a new generation of museum visitor. Many of the comments posted on this blog are pieces of this bigger plan. One of the most important components of this plan is re-thinking how our visitors experience Stratford Hall. Or more specifically, how do we convey educational content to our visitors?

In October, we hosted a conference entitled "Re-Discovering the Historic House." This conference brought together people from a variety of disciplines, like game designers, story tellers and cultural critics, that could help us think differently about how this experience can be re-fashioned for a new audience. If you want to hear about these ideas, you can listen to the podcast on our website.

As the next phase of this process we are planning to implement a new tour experience here and at two other sites, probably in Boston and Philadelphia. The new tour experience would be developed at all three sites simultaneously, accompanied by extensive visitor evaluation. The hope is that this will lead to a replicable model that can be adopted by other sites across the country. It will be a multi-year project.

What will this new experience be like? Right now we don't know the specifics. That's the principal question we need to answer. However, it is fair to say that the new experience will be much more visitor directed and will allow the exploration of history from multiple perspectives. We will still offer the guided tour for those who want them. But for most visitors, we will provide another way for them to explore Stratford at their own pace so they can learn about and discover the things about this place that are important to them. As this process unfolds, we will provide updates here. Stay tuned!

Posted by Paul Reber, Executive Director

Traditional Hand Ground Paint in the Stair Passage

We are on the home stretch in the Northwest Stair Passage. Each time I visit the project it looks a little closer to completion and its final designation as a functioning staircase. One of the most recent exciting activities that occured was the application of traditional hand ground linseed oil paint.

This paint was made by Erica Sanchez Goodwillie of Clinton, NY. Erica also spent a week here at Stratford Hall applying this special paint with the help of Jack Fisher of Plains, VA. The hand ground paint was made by hand grinding the pigments in the linseed oil. The pure pigments were then mixed with more linseed oil until a color match was achieved. At this point more linseed oil and chalk were added to extend the paint. Then, when it comes to applying the paint, it is a completely different beast than modern paint. When applying the paint you must be sure all surfaces are properly prepared or the paint will "flash," which means the paint loses its appropriate gloss. You must also be sure not to apply the paint too thick or it will wrinkle. These are only a couple of the differences between hand ground paint and paint we use today.

The colors used in this space were identified through Cross-section Paint Microscopy, done by Susan Buck of Williamsburg, VA. This is a process of taking small samples of paint and using a powerful microscope to analyze the paint history of the room's elements. We were lucky to have enough paint history retained in areas to provide us with an accurate representation of how the Stair Passage would have been painted during Light Horse Harry's time.

In the lower space of the Stair Passage, all the woodwork--including the chair rail, door archtraves and the mantel--was painted a light gray color. The stair elements (hand rail, balusters, risers) will be painted a "Spanish Brown". All the baseboards in the Stair Passage will be painted a dark black-brown. The most exciting color that was identified during the paint analysis was on the main floor woodwork. The color that was identified to be in place was Verdigris--this is a bright vibrant green color that you would have found in the nicer homes of this time period.

The processes of discovering the paint colors, having the paints made, and having them applied has been very exciting. I am looking forward to seeing this space complete with all the colors and woodwork in place, and I'm also very excited to hear the responses from you and our visitors to this restored space.

Rediscovering the Historic House

As we prepare for the implementation of the Lee Heritage Interpretive Plan in the coming years, one of the principal challenges is finding a way to make a tour of Stratford Hall engaging for the broadest possible audience.

An important step toward resolving this challenge took place on October 28 and 29, when we hosted a symposium called “Rediscovering the Historic House.” The purpose of the symposium was to draw together representatives from a variety of diverse perspectives to consider changes to the current historic house tour model. Extensive visitor surveys and other evidence indicate that the traditional historic house tour model, where visitors are guided through a series of period rooms, does not appeal to a growing portion of visitors.

Thanks to the support of the Chipstone Foundation, we were able to assemble a diverse panel of experts to consider solutions to this challenge. Included on the panel were Erica Donnis, from Reach Advisors; Kati London and Demetri Detsaridis of Area/Code Games; Tom Scheinfeld Director of the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University; Brian Sturm from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, who specializes in storytelling and storytelling theory; Philip Kennicott, the cultural critic for The Washington Post; Phil Bigler, a former national teacher of the year and Director of the James Madison Center at James Madison University; Barbara Charles, an exhibit designer with the firm Staples and Charles; and Jonathan Prown, Director of the Chipstone Foundation. Also on the panel were Cary Carson, retired Vice President of Research at Colonial Williamsburg, and Kym Rice, Professor and Director of the Museum Studies Program at George Washington University. Cary and Kym were included to help provide synthesis among the various ideas and perspectives.

The first day of the symposium began with a tour of the Great House and grounds. The panelists were divided into three groups and asked to develop some new ideas for presenting the story of the Lees and their plantation community, focusing on three ideas: desire, boundaries, and senses. These ideas were discussed and served as a starting point for a wide-ranging discussion of the challenges of presenting multiple stories at Stratford Hall. This exercise was highly useful, and might serve as a model for other sites.

The second day of the symposium was open to the public. Nearly one hundred museum professionals and other interested participants were in attendance and were treated to a series of fascinating presentations by the panelists on their ideas for improving the tour model at historic house museums. All these presentations are available on our website as a podcast.

No magic solutions came from this symposium. There were, however, a lot of great ideas. We will be implementing some of these ideas as the Lee Heritage Interpretive Plan progresses. Check back on this blog for further updates!

Update from the Preservation Department

It's been a while since I have been able to post a Preservation Department update. Sorry about that, but it has been a busy few months. I am currently juggling the Southwest Outhouse restoration project and the Northwest Stair Passage restoration project.

The interns and I have been working hard in the Southwest Outbuilding to get the restoration completed by the middle of October. My two summer interns restored one window, leaving one to be restored. I was able to employ a fall intern, who is currently restoring that final window. We have been scraping paint, repairing plaster, and even getting some finish coats of paint on windows. Within the next week we should be able to start putting finish coats of paint on the walls and trim. In what will be the workshop and the bedchamber, the walls be painted with a simulated whitewash, while the trim and windows will be painted with a dark brown, which would have been considered "Spanish Brown" in the 18th Century. Spanish Brown was often used for baseboards and used if an outbuilding's interior elements were painted with a color. This was the case because it was cheap and hid dirt well. The last room, which has wood paneled walls, will be painted a blue-gray color with Spanish Brown baseboards. The brown being used was identified on some baseboards in the Great House from the same time period.

The Northwest Stair Passage project has been picking up momentum over the past couple of months. Most of the lingering questions have been answered, but there will always be some questions and speculation with projects like this one. We have been working closely with the project architect and the Historic Resource Advisory Panel in order to restore the stair passage accurately. The final construction documents are at the State DHR for review and we are hoping to begin construction very soon.

Interpreter Attire

Stratford Hall is currently undergoing some changes related to the Lee Heritage Interpretive Plan, which you have probably already learned from recent posts on this blog. One of those new changes, voted on by our Board of Directors in April, involves interpreter attire. Currently, the interpreters wear 18th-century indentured servant attire, but as of July 1, 2009, this will be changing. 

Because the Interpretive Plan encompasses four different time periods--that of Thomas and Hannah Lee, Phillip Ludwell Lee, Light Horse Harry/Robert E. Lee, and the Robert E. Lee Memorial Association--it has become impossible to provide appropriate attire that can reflect such a long time period. This interpretive plan spans more than two hundred years! As a result, beginning July 1, interpreters will be wearing business casual dress for all regular house tours.

Similar costuming changes have been made at other historic sites, including Montpelier, Monticello, Mount Vernon, and Gunston Hall. Most historic sites--including Stratford Hall--continue to wear 18th-century attire when performing first-person interpretation. Interpreters at Stratford Hall will also wear 18th-century attire when conducting 18th-century activities (including blacksmithing, for example) during school programs.

Do you have questions about this change? Please let us know.

More finds in the Northwest Stair Passage

There have been several discoveries in the Northwest Stair Passage since my last update. I have been busy removing plaster and other elements looking for evidence to support the restoration of the stair passage. The picture to the right shows the ground floor room of the Northwest Stair Passage before I began removing plaster and with the mock-up in place. The fragments that we have can also be seen in the mock-up. Just the other day I carried out over three quarters of a ton of plaster in bags from the Great House. I have identified some interesting and exciting things in the past few weeks. The most exciting (to me at least) is what I believe to be areas of plaster that are contemporary to Light Horse Harry’s stair passage. One area of plaster that would have been in the closet appears to have never received a finish coat of plaster. I believe this because the scratch coat appears to have been white washed. This white washed scratch coat was found under a layer of Portland-based plaster from the 1930s restoration. It appears that this type of original plaster also exists in the transition area between the ground floor and main floor in the stair passage opening. This discovery of 18th-century plaster gives me hope that other plaster escaped the earlier restorations and will be found throughout the Great House. The picture to the left shows the original plaster that was found on the south wall and some of the plaster and lathe that was removed.

When removing the floor boards of the main floor room, I also found a number of architectural fragments. Under the Parlor wall, on what would be the ceiling of the ground floor room, I found what is believed to be an original piece of chair railing. Other finds include wrought nails of different types--mainly lathe nails--a possible fragment of original plaster, and what appears to be a chandelier drop that remains undated. In the near future, the original plaster, chair rail fragment, and plaster fragments will have their paint analyzed to help date them and hopefully provide information in regards to the Northwest Stair Passage’s original finish types and colors.

The Answers Seem to Raise More Questions

This is my first post to provide an update on our Northwest Stair Restoration Project. We are currently trying to wrap up the architectural investigations within the two spaces that make up this passage. There are a few questions that still need answers before we can start the construction drawings and restoration. This has been an ongoing process and it seems that every time we answer one question, three more arise. Some of the remaining questions are minor, like how to deal with baseboards and modern HVAC vents, while some are more complex. For example, how was the weight of the main floor supported after the floor joists were cut and how will we cover the window that the stairs will bisect?

The investigation has included paint analysis, archival research, and the work of multiple architectural historians, preservationists, and architects over the past 20 years or so. Included is the only photo of the original stair case from Edith Tunis Sale's Colonial Interiors, published in 1930. Plaster has been removed, nail holes documented and analyzed, plaster ghosts discussed, and the reason a stud has been flipped and rotated has been debated. Basically, what I am trying to say is we are going to great lengths to make sure the restored stair passage is as historically accurate as the evidence will allow. No nail hole will go unanalyzed.

I will be back soon with a report of what I find between the ceiling of the ground floor room and the floor boards of the main floor room. In the meantime, read about the history of the Northwest Stair Passage and reasoning behind the project on our web page.

Great House Project Updates

Welcome to Stratford Hall's new projects blog! We've begun this site in order to update you on our progress for each of the projects we're working on. We look forward to receiving your comments and suggestions as we begin implementing our new interpretive plan, called the "Lee Heritage Interpretive Plan."

We're currently working on the Southwest Outhouse. This work involves the complete restoration and reinterpretation of the building. Visitors normally meet their tour guide here, and once the work is completed, this space will provide visitors with an orientation to Stratford Hall. Our main focus in this building will be on the Lee family's economic reliance on tobacco production.

We're also reconstructing the stair passage in the Northwest corner of the Great House. This image shows the room in which the stairs will be built. When "Light Horse" Harry Lee lived at Stratford, he added these stairs. They were removed in the 1930s, but will be reconstructed under our new Lee Heritage Interpretive Plan.

Future posts will contain additional information about ongoing and upcoming projects. Please check back frequently!