Project Profile

The restoration of the historic town of Williamsburg has influenced generations of Americans and their understanding of life, architecture and color in Colonial America. Guided by the interest of the Reverend W.A.R. Goodwin and the financial support of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., this renowned restoration helped to inspire and develop the national movement in historic preservation in the early-to-mid 20th century.

Colonial Williamsburg's reconstructed Governor's Palace

As the restoration of the most significant buildings progressed through the World War II era, considerable interest developed in the colors of the original paints used on the numerous buildings' interior and exterior trim. The approach to researching in those years concentrated on the scraping of paint layers to reveal large areas of what appeared to be the first finish; color samples were made up to match those exposed areas. By the mid-20th Century, the palette developed from these trend-setting efforts captured the interest of visitors and scholars alike. By marketing a line of historic paints, the colors of Williamsburg became famous.

By the late 20th century the approach to historic architectural paint investigation had evolved and improved. The use of the microscope was introduced in order to more closely examine the complete paint layer structure on small samples carefully extracted from discrete locations where the old paint evidence typically is thicker and in better condition. Many 18th century buildings along America's east coast were being restored using these more advance techniques. In 1987, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation elected to review and reevaluate its previous research and findings by consulting with Frank S. Welsh.

Since then, Welsh has comprehensively investigated and analyzed the paints on nine of the most significant 18th century structures in Williamsburg, which are now repainted with the newly evaluated colors. They include: Barraud House, Brush-Everard House, Carter House, Geddy House, Ludwell-Paradise House, Peyton Randolph House, Rabon House, St. George Tucker and Wythe Houses.

St. George Tucker House repainted with original colors	Crossection of interior paint layers from the Tucker House

Continued 1 | 2 | 3 |Next>>

---