ARLINGTON HOUSE Historic Structures Report Voume 2

A. FUNDING FOR REPAIR, RESTORATION, AND IMPROVEMENT AT ARLINGTON HOUSE, 1933-1979

1. 1933-41

Under the Public Works Program, $12,470 was provided for restoration work on Arlington House and Grounds in Federal Project 374 on October 2, 1933. Of this total $9,170 was earmarked for work on the mansion and $3,330 for ground projects. From October 1933 to June 30, 1938, a total of $12,304.91 was expended under Federal Project 374. In addition, the National Park Service made available approximately $6,900 from its appropriations for the following three projects: the heating plant, 1938 — $3,000; painting the mansion, 1939 — $2,700; and 1940 — $1,200 for revising the fire detection system in the mansion. Total money spent for restoration, repair, and improvement at Arlington House thus totaled approximately $19,370 during the period 1933 to 1941.

2. 1942-61

Not determined, but limited to repairs and work on utilities.

3. 1962-71

More than $14,345 was expended on repairs and improvements to Arlington House between 1962 and 1969.

4. 1972-79

From 1972 to 1979 more than $109,370.68 was spent for repair and restoration of Arlington House. During the 1979 fiscal year $100,000 was received for the emergency stabilization and repair of the mansion.

B. WORK ON THE EXTERIOR

1. Painting

Non-historic paint colors used during this period.

Exterior painted two coats by War Department in 1929.

Exterior painted two coats in 1934 at a cost of $1,080, including interior, under contract by Clarence W. Gosnell, Inc. of Washington, D.C.

Wooden steps of portico on east or front elevation painted in 1936.

Exterior painted two coats in 1939 at a cost, including interior, of approximately $2,700.

a. Painting Exterior, 1942-61

Non-historic paint colors used during this period.

1942 — exterior trim and eight columns on portico, but not stucco painted by NPS paint crew.

1943 — two west (rear) porches painted.

1947 — front and rear porches painted.

1948 — reported exterior had not been painted since 1942, but no record of exterior painting found for 1949-50.

1960-61 — exterior of mansion painted.

b. Painting of Exterior, 1964-79

Efforts made to restore historic colors used, 1855-61.

1964 — begin first study of exterior historical paint colors of mansion. Historic Structure Report, "Exterior Repainting of Custis-Lee House," July 30, 1965.

1964 — paint is sandblasted to its original surface and the entire structure restuccoed except for the center portion of the back or west facade of the house.

1965 — exterior repainted, "historic colors" used.

1965-66 — columns of east (front) portico marbleized under contract with Apex Decorating Company of Maryland, let November 1965 for $11,850. This work restored exterior to 1858-61 appearance.

1973 — exterior of mansion painted historic colors by Apex Decorating Company of Silver Spring, Maryland, under Contract CX 3000-3-0918 for $14,000.

1974 — Marbleization of east portico by Apex Decorating Company of Silver Spring, Maryland, under contract CX 3000-4-0997 for $18,430.

1979— Architect Frank G. Matero, "Report on the Investigation of Exterior Paints, Conditions, and Treatments," July 1979.

2. Mansion Roof

1929 — the War Department thoroughly repaired the existing slate roofs of the mansion and two wings. These dated from 1908.

June 1934 — some new slate replaced on the roof.

October 1936 — several small leaks in roof repaired.

1940 — estimate prepared to place about 1,500 new 10 inch by 20 inch slates on mansion roof at cost of $500.

1945 — three leaks in mansion roof require extensive repairs.

1958 — Walter G. Peters, A.I.A. makes study and drawings of mansion roof.

1959— Contract 10-10-028-1606, repairs to mansion roof and south building let. Wooden balustrades, based on Benson J. Lossing's 1853 painting of Arlington House, reconstructed by the War Department and placed on the roofs of the north and south wings in 1930 at a cost of $3,200; removed from the two roofs as historically inaccurate as these had been removed by Robert E. Lee in 1858.

1961 — roofs of north and south wings repaired.

1974 — War Department slate tiles removed and 1861 appearance restored by covering the north and south wing roofs with simulated gravel roofs. Work done by Prospect Industries, Inc. of McLean, Virginia, under Contract CX 3000-4-1067 for $50,000.

1973 — the copper flashing of the chimneys of the main mansion roof, laid down by the War Department in 1928, was renewed with 16 oz. copper flashing at a cost of $1,190. The work was done by the Virginia Roofing Company of Alexandria, Virginia.

1974 — slate roof of the main house repaired.

This work restored the 1858-61 appearance to the roof of the mansion.

3. Conservatory (Room 116) Roof

1929 — the War Department rebuilt the glass roof of the conservatory.

1934 — minor repairs

1935 — roof reconstructed at a cost of $2,290 using aluminum painted to look like wood under contract with Redmond Concrete Company, Inc. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1961 — conservatory roof of aluminum rafter and glass, built in 1935, removed and replaced by a new roof.

4. Gutters and Downspouts

1928 — War Department installed new copper gutters and downspouts and 6 inch tile drains were laid to carry off the water from the downspouts.

1934 — repairs made to gutters and downspouts.

1974 — copper gutters and downspouts replaced by new enlarged system designed after the system in use in 1861. This work restored the 1861 appearance of the exterior of the north and south wings.

5. Snow Guards

1973 — main mansion roof had reconstructed 1861-type snow guards installed at cost of $788, work by Virginia Roofing Company of Alexandria, Virginia.

6. Exterior Stucco

1928 — War Department pointed and repaired exterior stucco.

March-April 1934 — minor repairs made to stucco

1939 — stucco repaired

1964 — paint and stucco sandblasted to its original surface and the entire structure restuccoed except for the center portion of the back or west facade on the main house.

1977 — west porch reconstructed on 1864 plans; stucco at west porch replaced at estimated cost of $350.

1977 — north wing porch, replaced stucco, cost about $385.

7. East Portico

a. East Portico Steps

1929 — War Department repaired and painted the existing wooden steps.

1935 — after great debate with War Department over whether to rebuild steps of stone or wood, the east portico steps were reconstructed in an historically accurate manner of wood and sandstone so as to resemble their 1861 appearance. Work under contract by J. George Bensel of A Baltimore, Maryland, cost $1,690.

1936 — east portico steps painted

1961 — east portico steps, reconstructed in 1935 to resemble 1861 wooden steps, are rebuilt in the same style in 1961.

1971 — wooden and sandstone steps, rebuilt in 1861-style in 1935 rebuilt again in 1961, reconstructed for the third time in 1971. These steps have to be replaced at ten-year intervals.

b. East Portico Ceiling

1968 — plaster soffit in ceiling of east or front portico falls.

This rebuilt under Contract 14-10-6-960-195 by Fitzgerald and Company of East Riverdale, Maryland, for $2,495.

1972 — plaster moulding of ceiling of east (front) portico falls.

1973 — this rebuilt at estimated cost of $1,800 by Stephan Lozupone & Sons of Washington, D.C.

c. East Portico Floor

1930 — the War Department reconstructs the original (1851) brick floor of the east portico, cost of $450.

8. West (Rear) Porch, Main House

1977 — west porch reconstructed on the 1861 plan.

1977 — exterior stucco replaced at west porch.

9. North Wing Porch

1977 — stucco at north wing porch replaced.

10. Exterior Shutters

1930 — all exterior shutters repaired and painted.

11. Chimneys

1929-30 — all chimneys were opened up down to their fireplaces and their tops closed by means of slate slabs to keep out birds and squirrels.

The four large chimneys on the main house, because of badly deteriorated brick, were taken down to the level of the second floor ceiling and rebuilt according to their original dimensions and reusing the old brick as far as possible. Portland cement was used to rebuild the chimneys.

12. Exterior Doors and Window Frames

1929-30 — all exterior rotten and damaged window sash, doors, and frames renewed at a cost of $2,900.

13. Exterior Basement Windows and Doors

1928 — new doors and frames were provided for three basement entrances.

1929 — new casement sash and iron bars, replacing old ones, were placed on all basement windows.

1929 — many original soft bricks in the basement walls had crumbled and had to be replaced.

C. WORK ON THE INTERIOR OF THE ARLINGTON HOUSE

1. Interior Painting

a. 1933-41

Non-historic paint colors used during this period.

1929-30 — interior of mansion painted two coats by War Department.

1934 — interior of mansion painted two coats by contractor Clarence W. Gosnell, Inc. of Washington D.C.

1939 — interior painted two coats.

1937 — murals in first floor hall (Room 111) "retouched" by the NPS Museum Division, cost of work $51.11.

b. 1942-47

Non-historic paint colors used during this period.

1942 — painted by NPS paint crew: Rooms 104, 106, 107, 109, 115, 114, 117, and probably 112.

1943 — Rooms 104 and 106 painted

1944 — floors in mansion refinished, first time since 1929-30.

1945 — painted Rooms 116, 201, 113, 110, 111, 107, 105.

Basement rooms in north wing whitewashed.

1946 — Rooms 104, 115, and railings and treads on stairway

c. 1948-79

Interior painting attempting to restore historic colors:

November 8, 1946 — first study done to attempt to establish historic room colors.

1948 — first painting with historic colors: Rooms 117, 110, 207, 108, 113, 115, and 109.

1951 — Rooms 106 and 109

1952 — canvas ceiling put on Room 203 and room then painted.

Painted Rooms 113, 110, 111, 116, 201, and 114.

1953 — Rooms 111, 105, and 104

1954 — Rooms 204, 205, 206, and BO-2

1955 — Room 116

Era of attempting to restore historic room colors:

1956 — Room 117

1957 — Room 115

1958 — Rooms 113, 110, 114, 116, 101, 111, 201

1959 — Rooms 204, 205, 206, 203, 202, 201, 104, 105, 106, 108, 109, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, and 117 painted.

1962 — painted Rooms 106, 107, 104, 115, and several hallways.

1963 — painted Rooms 108 and 109

1965 — painted Rooms 101, 110, 111, 113, 116, 201, BO-1, and cellar stairs

1965 — following painting schedule instituted in 1965 and followed to date:

hallways and areas frequented by visitors given touchup painting every two years

historic rooms only viewed by visitors, painted at seven-year intervals.

1967 — E. Blaine Cliver, "Preliminary Report of Interior Paint Investigation," studied Rooms 101, 110, 111, 113, 201, and one outside shutter.

1972 — Rooms 111, 113, and 201 painted

1976 — eight rooms are wallpapered with paper and then painted. Five additional Wall-Tex protection rooms are painted.

2. Interior Plaster Walls and Ceilings

1929 — War Department spent approximately $1,600 to repair plaster walls, ceilings, and cornice throughout the mansion.

March-April 1934 — repairs made to walls and ceilings, minor.

3. Interior Woodwork and Hardware

1929-30 — the War Department spent $1,600 to reconstruct "Colonial Period" hardware throughout the mansion. Only two of the original door locks, located on the east and west entrances of Room 111, were found to be still in place. The reconstructions were apparently modeled after the two original locks. A third original door lock was returned to the mansion and restored to its original location on the hall door on the north side of Room 111 and opening into Room 109. The War Department also repaired or duplicated the existing interior millwork.

March-April 1934 — minor repairs were made to woodwork and hardware.

4. Room Guards, Interior of Mansion

1929-30 — War Department installed metal guard rails and screens at all doors of rooms open for viewing to visitors. These were modeled after the guard rails used at Mount Vernon, cost $796.

1936 — approximately $170 was apparently spent to improve and heighten the room guards.

5. Mansion Flooring

1929 — War Department reconstructed the flooring of the first floor, duplicating what existed in 1928. Intact pieces of original flooring from first floor used to patch and repair the second floor flooring. Second floor flooring was largely original and in good condition in 1929.

1944 — floors in mansion refinished for first time since 1929-30.

1960 — flooring in second floor hall reported to be in very poor condition. The flooring on the second floor dated from 1855 period.

6. Mantels: Drawing Room Mantels, Room 112

January 1953 — the two 1855 marble mantels in Room 112 installed by Robert E. Lee in 1855, and removed by the War Department in 1932, because they were of the "wrong historical period," are restored to their original fireplaces. They had been stored in the basement since 1932.

7. Insect Damage to the Mansion

1948 — inspection report, looking for termite damage.

1951 — inspection report of basement beams under Rooms 111 and 112. Some damage reported.

1974 — Terminix Company of Maryland and Washington, Hyattsville, Maryland, fumigates mansion to prevent insect damage. Uses deadly poison gas known as "Vikane Sulfure Fluoride."

8. Window Film to Filter Out Ultraviolet Light Rays

1975 — polyethylene grey-tinted film installed on inside of mansion windows except in Room 116, the conservatory, for $1,781 by Slater's Glass Tinting Company of Glen Allen, Virginia. Purpose to eliminate about 85 percent of ultraviolet and 50 percent of visible light to protect the historic furnishings.

9. Work in Basement Rooms

1934 — about 2,000 old bricks were used to pave the earthen floors in basement Rooms BO-1, BO-2, and BO-3. A lack of old brick prevented five additional rooms from having their earth floors paved with brick as had been planned.

1976 — weakened lintel over doorway in basement Room BO-2 replaced, braced, and backed with steel.

1978 — east window in wine cellar (Room BO-3) repaired.

10. Conservatory (Room 116)

1978 — window frames and exterior conservatory.

11. Work on Interior Stairs

1929-30 — War Department spent $600

a. Stairs in Room 113

September 1935 — stairs inspected for safety.

b. Stairs in Room 110

September 1935 — stairs inspected for safety.

1936 — stair repaired door sill repaired in the to repair the interior stairs.

c. Steps from Room 114 to Room 116

1935 — steps repaired

1948 — main stairway in Room 113 inspected.

1978 — first landing on main stairway (Room 113) found to be dangerously weak. An external prop installed NPS carpenters to brace the two joists which supported the landing.

1978 — three beams with two posts each placed in basement under north stair hall (Room 110).

1978 — similar system of beams and posts installed in basement under south stair hall (Room 113).

12. Structural Problems, 1975-79

1975 — because of apparent structural weakness on second floor, number of visitors limited to 15 at one time on second floor.

1976 — Civil Engineer John J. Longworth completed study of mansion, January 8, 1976, on structural stability and condition.

1976 — in 1929 the War Department introduced a truss in the partition wall between second floor Rooms 206 and 207, which are located over Room 112. The weight of the second floor partition had caused the ceiling of Room 112 to sag nearly 5 inches. Cracks had appeared in the ceiling of Room 112 and also in the partition wall between Rooms 206 and 207. The introduction of the truss at a cost of $850 corrected this problem in 1929. NPS carpenters repaired the 1929 truss in 1976. Heavy chandelier (not of period) in Room 112 taken down.

1976 — Room 101 flooring was braced with posts, placed in basement.

1976 — because of continued worry over structural safety, during July and August, the months of heavy visitation, a system of guided tours was introduced. Each group was limited to 25 people and there were 15 minute intervals between each tour.

The guided tour system was utilized every summer from 1976 to 1980.

1977 — Civil Engineer Jack Longworth completes a survey of the carrying capacity of both the first and second floors in fall.

1978 — additional posts placed in basement to brace first floor. Three beams with two posts each placed under north stair hall (Room 110) and similar system of beams and posts under south stair house (Room 113). Posts placed in winter kitchen (Room BO-2), under Room 101 and under Room 112.

1979 — additional bracing for first floor installed; a beam with five posts in Room BO-2, under Rooms 105-06, in north wing; in south wing, a beam and two posts under segmental arch under Room 115.

D. WORK ON ARLINGTON HOUSE UTILITIES

1. Electrical System

1929 — the War Department rewired the mansion at a cost of $1,500 and an additional $1,000 was spent to lay better electrical lines from Fort Myer to the mansion.

1934 — minor repairs made and some electrical circuits altered.

April 17, 1934 — inspection and report describing system.

April 8, 1936 — first electrical meter installed at mansion.

May 1937 — inspection of wiring system

1954 — electrical system revised, Contract 14-10-028-548.

2. Heating System

1929-30 — the War Department spent $12,000 to erect an outside boiler house, guard room, and public comfort station. An additional $4,500 was spent to install a new concealed heating system of pipe in the mansion. Grills and hidden radiators served the new hot water heating system.

1935 — approximately $3,115 was expended under contract with Tenuis F. Collier to reconstruct and repair the existing heating system.

1945 — plant repaired

1949 — heating plant revised, Contract I-28NP-663, shifted from coal burning to oil.

3. Fire Alarm System

1929-30 — War Department expended $1,842.70 to install an automatic fire alarm system in the basement, first, second, and attic floors of mansion, also in three outbuildings, Atmo alarm system.

April 17, 1934 — inspection and description of existing system.

1940 — about $1,200 spent under Contract I-28NP-35 to reconstruct and repair existing fire alarm system.

1949-51 — fire alarm system apparently revised.

197-76 — a new smoke detecting fire alarm system installed under Contract CX 3000-5-1224, June 5, 1975, by C.G. Eastbrook, Inc. of Arlington, Virginia, for $20,666.68.

4. Water System for Fire Protection

The existing (1933) water mains, 4-inch cast iron pipes and fire hydrants has been installed by the War Department in 1907 at a cost of $1,880.

April 17, 1934 — inspection report and description of existing water supply system for fire protection purposes.

1940 — project proposed at estimated cost of $2,000 to install 1-1/2-inch standpipe and hose connections on each floor of mansion.

1941 — four standpipes ordered at estimated cost of $344.60. Six-inch water pipe to be installed at 4-inch water pipe to be linked to Arlington National Cemetery system. These plans not executed in 1941 for parts and pipes do not arrive in time.

1942 — larger pipes apparently laid to hook up with Arlington National Cemetery pipes.

E. Research on Arlington House

1. 1928-30

War Department conducted limited documentary research (family papers not available to them). They recorded histories from major articles and prints published in the first half of the 19th century, as a basis for restoration of Arlington House in 1928-30 at an approximate cost of $110,000, including furnishings. On the advice and insistence of Dr. Charles Moore, architect and Chairman of the Commission of Fine Arts, the War Department initially "restored" the mansion to the 1804 or Custis period rather than the Lee (1861) period as Congress had directed. Some Victorian features of the Lee period were thus removed and replaced by reconstructed "Colonial Period" features. Use of rooms was established in large part by testimony of former slaves. Fuller documentation of room use was not then available from Lee family documents.

2. 1933-48

The National Park Service administers the Custis-Lee Mansion for 15 years without conducting any historical research on the mansion or the Custis-Lee families.

3. 1948-53

Murray H. Nelligan, Park Historian, conducts first extensive historical research program in documentary sources on the history of the families and the mansion and opens up a whole new era; he was permitted to use restricted Lee family papers and information contained in them was brought to bear on the restoration of Arlington House; history of the 1800-61 period is revealed in full detail. Dates of construction of the mansion, 1802 for north wing, main house 1817-19, were established for the first time, as were Robert E. Lee's alterations made to the mansion in the 1855-61 period.

4. Architectural Investigations of Arlington House

April 1971 — Architect Archie W. Franzen completes "Custis-Lee Mansion Structure Study."

1971 — Architect Franzen prepares plans to replace the copper gutters and downspouts that had been installed.