PROJECT Decatur House ARCHITECT Franck & Lohsen
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PROJECT Decatur House ARCHITECT Franck & Lohsen Architects Foyer front entry of Decatur House off Lafayette Square facing west to courtyard and second floor. 46 | TRADITIONAL BUILDING September 2019 Photograph by Bruce White / Copyright White House Historical Association House Historical / Copyright White White by Bruce Photograph One of the capitol’s oldest and most prestigious homes, the Decatur House has been remade—in its own image. A HOUSE BY KILEY JACQUES reawakened hen Stewart McLaurin, to be the prestigious home it once was. According to Michael Franck, deemed sound, though beneath the president of the White It’s not a museum anymore,’” she recalls. principal of Franck & Lohsen Architects, Wilton rug in the entry hall, they found House Historical As- “I knew what to do. I know what is right “Prior to Stewart McLaurin coming to floor boards in need of repair. That sociation (WHHA), in a home like this.” the Association in 2014, the Decatur work was done using boards from the called Susan Watkins Watkins was well versed in the House had been practically denuded of attic floor. Watkins explains: “We made of Franck & Lohsen house’s history, which includes its all historic artifacts and furnishings. It the decision that the original 1820s Architects to ask if she purchase by General Edward Fitzgerald had become a banal box—all of the nice flooring would not be able to with- wouldW help the effort to restore the first Beale in 1871. Under his hand, sig- things were removed, and it didn’t have stand human traffic, and the National floor of the Decatur House in Washing- nificant changes were made to both the any historic character left.” McLaurin Trust for Historic Preservation gave us ton, D.C., she responded with a resound- interior and exterior. Sandstone lintels concurs, saying, “These rooms were a permission to cover it with a soft cork ing, “Of course!” As the daughter of a were added to the front door, and new blank canvas. The White House Histori- to keep it preserved. Floor boards from U.S. Navy admiral who raised his family first-floor windows gave the façade a cal Association board of directors was the 1870s—when the Beales redid the within the walls of multiple important Victorian flair, as did decorative embel- enthusiastic to create a space that would floors—were found in the attic; they historic homes, Watkins was keen on lishments inside. In 1844, under Thomas bring to life the history of the home and were in extremely poor condition but the commission. Built between 1817 and T. Waterman’s ownership, the house was become a functional area in support of they were numbered. Each piece was 1819 by Neoclassical architect Benjamin simultaneously restored to its original our mission.” McLaurin was relying on completely restored using preservation- Henry Latrobe for Commodore Stephen state and made uniquely his own with a Watkins to bring back the home’s char- quality products and processes such as Decatur and his wife, Susan Wheeler, the series of changes that included cut- acter. The scope of her work included hot wax filler and very gentle brushes. house, which sits at the northwest cor- ting the first-floor windows down by 15 the front foyer, two parlors, the back Most of this work was done by hand. ner of Lafayette Square just blocks from inches. Suffice it to say, by the time the entry, the stairwell, and the second-floor There were three types of wood used in the White House, is Federal in style and National Trust for Historic Preservation landing. She was given nine weeks to the herringbone-pattern drawings that as familiar to Watkins as a beloved old acquired the property in 1956, it was a complete the restoration. I found, which were used to re-create coat. “When Stewart gave me this mis- storied structure—one whose saga was The project’s purview was primar- the floor with all of the boards in their sion, he said, ‘I need the Decatur House not yet over. ily cosmetic, as the structure itself was original location.” TraditionalBuilding.com | 47 They also fixed cracks in the plaster explains. To do so, she searched the for example, was designed and built by that need to hold up to contemporary us- walls and reworked the HVAC system, furnishings that had been locked away a New Hampshire-based artisan whose age,” she notes. “That was a very strong which was hidden within the fireplaces. in storage and the artifacts held in the talent is perhaps most evident in the consideration in terms of what to select Additionally, they changed the face of Decatur House vault. “I was looking for cabinet housing White House china. from the old family collection.” the chimneys and the white marble items that had belonged to Stephen and Watkins estimates that roughly 90 Notable objects from the house hearth stone and quarter-inch surround, Susan Decatur but there was so little percent of the antique furnishings and vault include the eagle mirror, the which was not original. “Nothing about left because she had to leave the house artifacts she selected are strictly orna- Decatur sword, battle memorabilia, and the fireplaces was precious except for and sell her belongings after he was mental. She did, however, still need to Stephen Decatur’s desk from the USS the mantels,” Watkins says, adding that killed in a gentlemen’s duel. Most things plan for how the house would function. United States. “The restoration allows they painted the fireplaces black to went to auction. I took everything that “Stewart sees the Decatur House, not as us to showcase items from the Decatur enhance the mantel work. Notably, a would visually work, as well as what was a space to rent to organizations but as the collection as well as the Beale family chair rail was almost added. “We wanted theirs, including his prize awards for his parlors of the White House Historical going back to 1819,” says McLaurin. “We to save the plaster walls from being bravery in battle—those needed to be Association,” Franck says. With that in intentionally did not choose to inter- pounded by art exhibits being hung,” on display. The intent was to re-create mind, Watkins ensured that the replica pret a specific period of time, but rather Watkins explains. “There was no mold- a semblance of what their home might pieces as well as the refurbished and blended characteristics of periods so ing to reference outside of one period, so have looked like—and the essence of who reupholstered furnishings were structur- these two families of distinction could be we designed a profile that the National they were in their home.” The collection ally stable to accommodate visitors. Like- highlighted in a meaningful way.” Trust approved, but it just didn’t work held a lot of broken furniture as well as wise, the furnishings selected from the Watkins worked with historic light- visually.” many pieces from the Truman era, which Beale family collection were rebuilt and ing specialist Paul Bavis from Spurgeon- The pith of Watkins’s work was to wouldn’t have been period-appropriate. reupholstered by a workshop in Mary- Lewis Antiques to source appropriate create period ambience. “My goal was Thus, it was necessary to have reproduc- land. The house is a mix of artifacts and fixtures, and Scalamandré fabrics were to make it the Decaturs’ home,” she tions made. The entire dining room set, history as well as furniture and surfaces imported from France for the new 48 | TRADITIONAL BUILDING September 2019 FROM LEFT View of drawing room and dining parlors facing west with window into courtyard. South window was previous entrance into a Conservatory. Front door entry facing Lafayette Square. Stewart McLaurin and Susan Watkins at the John Russell Pope Awards outside the Carnegie Institute. BELOW Dining parlor facing west onto courtyard with antique reproduction furniture in Tiger Maple custom made in New Hampshire. KEY SUPPLIERS upholstery. The company was chosen as In recognition of their work on LANDLORD, PRESERVATION a nod to Jacqueline Kennedy’s relation- the Decatur House, Franck & Lohsen ART INSTALLATION Artex Fine Arts Services PERMISSIONS ship with that family. The selected pat- Architects received the 2019 John Rus- National Trust for Historic terns, materials—cotton, linen, silk, and sell Pope Award for Historic Preserva- CLEANING, ARCHIVAL Preservation PREPARATION viscose—and colors were based on those tion. “The house represents classical Ayoub Rug and Carpet Care CONTRACTOR that would have been available in the architecture as a living tradition,” says Promacs LLC MILLWORK Champion Bros. Inc 1820s. Thought was also given to Mrs. Franck. “It now comfortably houses ar- MARBLE, STONE WORK Decatur’s French tastes. tifacts like Admiral Decatur’s sword and PLASTER REPAIR DL Boyd R. Bratti Associates Watkins notes the arrangement of other historical elements and pieces, ANTIQUE REPRODUCTION STERLING SERVICE the furnishings and decorative elements which give the house more meaning. FURNITURE DR Dimes & Co Ltd Rocky’s Silver & Gold Emporium saying, “The simple placement of his And now that they are out of storage PAINT SUPPLIER FABRIC SUPPLIER desk, of the sofas, of the chairs—the and back in the house, those elements Farrow & Ball Paints Scalamandré Fabrics parlors don’t tell you anything else but to have more meaning, too. Having them PAINTERS GM Painting TWO ANTIQUE SIDE CHAIRS do that.” Of the parlor rooms, McLaurin on the walls, on the mantels, as part of REWIRING, ELECTRIC INSTALL Silla Ltd Fine Antiques says: “They are intended to be a comple- the house gives the house and the items J.