ARLINGTON HOUSE Historic Structures Report Phase II

COMMITTEE PAINT STUDY OF THE EXTERIOR

Agnes Mullins
John Sligh
Gary Scott

Legislation (Pub. Res. 74, 68th Congress, March 4, 1925) directs the restoration of Arlington House to the appearance it had when it was last the home of Robert E. Lee and his family, 1860-61.

Marbleizing Colors

The portions of the house which were marbleized in 1860-61 are shown in the remarkable collection of photographs made chiefly by the Army Signal Corp in 1864 and supplemented by private photographs of officers posed on the portico 1861-1865. Prints and copy negatives are available from the Arlington House photographic file and/or the National Archives. (B6246 N.A., B1762 N.A., CN5654, BA1502 N.A., CN972 N.A., CN969 N.A., & CN6799 N.A.)

Documentary descriptions of the exterior of the house are limited. A soldier stationed at the site during the Civil War wrote home describing the house as "white". Early in the 1870s the house is described as having recently received a "yellow wash." Monthly cemetery reports record the columns replastered, the exterior "Kalsomined" and a yellow wash coat of paint applied to the patched exterior of the mansion in 1884. A former Arlington servant, "Uncle Jim" Parks told quartermaster corps' officers in 1929 that the building had been painted with "a sort of whitewash" with yellow trim but his recollection was questioned.

Physical evidence was sought before the exterior painting in 1955-56; 1964-66; and 1974. Analysis of paint samples taken yielded only circumstantial evidence of a marbleizing color. In 1966 the color was based primarily on the photographic evidence. In 1973 the color was based on inconclusive physical evidence and the judgement from the photographs that the marbleization resembled Dove marble and fell into the gray-white area.

Paint sample #331 was taken before the 1974 painting by Dave Murphy. This sample has been layered and a deep yellow ochre containing red streaking is located six layers of paint above the wood taken from the entablature of the portico. The first coat of paint would have been placed on this part of the house c. 1818-1820 when the center of the house was completed. The sixth coat of paint from the wood could have been the finish coat in 1860. If each paint layer stood alone, the trim would have been painted on the average of every seven years. The yellow ochre is the only color in the first eleven layers dark enough to have been the color shown in the marbleizing in the photographs of the entablature 1861-1871. It is significant that there is red streaking found in the layer in cross section. An 1828 description of Sienna Marble states "The ground colour of Sienna marble is pure yellow ochre. While the shading colour is wet, the veins that are more removed red and a little prussian blue:..." (The Decorators', Painters' and Glaziers' Guide by Nathaniel Whitlock, London 1828 - L.C. #NK 2175 WA). The complete layering of this paint sample (23-27 coats) indicated that it represents the full paint sequence placed on the entablature through 1966. Based on the above evidence, we recommend that the cornices and entablature finish color be yellow ochre. The part to be marbleized should have egg shell finish. The part to be left unmarbleized to be finished in semi-gloss.

Munsell — Custom Chip; Benjamin Moore GB—13

Pebble Dash Physical evidence is not conclusive but yellow ochre is present on old pebble dash.

Recommended: Munsell — Custom Chip; Benjamin Moore GB-13

Capitals and Columns Marbleization on the capitals and columns may be different from the entablature and cornice. The painting of the columns is differed by stabilization. The capitals, which seem lighter in Photograph BA 1502, could remain in base coat until the type of marble is determined.

Window Sashes, Conservatory Wood Trim, and Doors No physical paint chip was available for study. Photographic evidence indicated that they were all of a light color and probably off-white. An early off-white found on paint sample #327 was matched. This paint is on a shutter hinge which came from the frame of the north window on the west facade of the north wing. The doors, conservatory wood trim, all window frames except those of the arched windows appear light in the photographs. The off-white from #327 is recommended.

Munsell 2 5y 9/2 Benjamin Moore GB-30

Stucco — Samples examined: #321, #322—b, #332 and #333

#321 — Plaster from east facade of the main block at second floor level adjacent to south pilaster. This was taken from behind the 1964 stucco and was attached to the old brick. The number of coats of paint seemed too few (8) to represent a complete historical paint sequence. #322—B—Plaster from recess above northeast window of the white parlor on east facade of the main block. There are insufficient coats of paint to represent historic sequence taken from a typical area.

#322 — Plaster from the west elevation of the north wing from the section under the north canopy. (This area was partially sand blasted before sampling). It is considered reliable only for colors near stucco. This sample was eliminated in favor of #333.

#333 — Plaster from the west facade of the north wing beneath the canopy above the southwest door to the cellar. This sample was cratered and cross sectioned. It seemed to be covered by 16 coats of paint. The sixth coat from the plaster seemed to exhibit the degree of lightness indicated by the paint on the stucco in photographs 1861-1865. (1650-520; CN5654; BA 1502 & CN 972)

Recommended: Munsell #10 yr 9/4 Benjamin Moore OP—5

Frames of Arched Windows in North and South Wings See Photograph 165—o—518 N.A. This indicates that frames match the stucco color.

Recommended: Munsell #10 yr 9/4 Benjamin Moore OP—5

The gutters and downspouts seem to match the stucco in photographs CN N.A. & CN 972 N.A.

Recommended: Munsell #10 yr 9/4 Benjamin Moore OP—5

Shutters Only two original shutters survive with any old paint colors. One is a louvered shutter XV from which paint samples #330, 313 and 314 were layered and studied. This shutter carried about 18 coats of paint but only the cream primer (1st coat) matched light enough to be the color in photographs (CN 969 N.A., CN 5634 & CN 972 N.A.). Shutter XVII is a panelled shutter from which paint samples #328, 315 and 316 were taken. This shutter had fewer coats of paint than the louvered shutter (11) but only one color, a gray, was light enough to have been represented in the photographs. This color the shutter for the 1974 painting of the house. Both the physical and photographic evidence is inconclusive but without other evidence we recommend that the gray be used again.

Munsell 5y 8/1 Benjamin Moore mix to the Munsell color chip

Canopies No physical evidence from the canopies carry the historic paint sequence. The presence of wire nails and uniform mill work indicate that the canopies have been reproduced since 1860, probably in the restoration by the War Department. Since there is no physical evidence, the photographs were used to evaluate the color intensity. (CN 969 N.A., & CN 6799 N.A.) Recommend that color match stucco.

Munsell #10 yr 9/4 Benjamin Moore OP—5

Window Sills The center of sills on the wings are natural Aquia sand stone (165—o—518). They should be restored to original 1861 appearance.

Window sills on the rest of the house seem to match the shutters except for the sills on the second story of the east facade of the main block of the house. These are very dark, matching in intensity of color the natural sandstone sills on the wings.

Recommendation: Investigation of paint samples taken from these areas to identify colors seen in the historic photographs and paint accordingly.

We wish to recognize the assistance rendered to this committee by Gary Thompson in layering samples, analyzing photographs, evaluating physical evidence, and matching colors.

Gary Scott

John Sligh

Agnes Mullins

NOTE: This committee was appointed to report the summarized conclusions as quickly as possible. One week's examination was made of the physical pictographic and documentary evidence on hand. We regret that the chemical analysis of the samples discussed in this report has not been completed and is not factored into the above recommendations. The paint study at Arlington House should be continued to provide documented recommendations for future interior and exterior painting of this important house.