Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Cross-section Paint Microscopy Report Interior Paint Investigation Phase II
Eppington Chesterfield County, VA
For: Ms. Mary Ellen Howe Director Eppington Foundation 601 Ravenscroft Drive Petersburg, VA 23805
Conservator: Susan L. Buck, Ph.D. 303 Griffin Avenue Williamsburg, VA 23185
Date: February 19, 2008
North Elevation
Purpose :
The goal of this project is to use cross-section microscopy and pigment analysis techniques to analyze paints in all the first, second and third-floor rooms, except the Period I Dining Room and the Period I Drawing Room (which were analyzed earlier), at ca. 1770-73 Eppington.1 If coherent paint sequences survive then datable layers will be color-matched for replication using a colorimeter/microscope.
1 See Susan L. Buck, “Cross-section Microscopy Report: Interior Paints, Dining Room and Parlor”, unpublished report for the Eppington Foundation, February 5, 2007. 1 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Procedures:
The samples were removed during two visits to the site on July 6 and October 20, 2007. The painted wall and woodwork surfaces were first examined at 30X magnification with a monocular field microscope. Several samples (about 200 microns in size) were removed from each area for cross-section microscopy analysis, pigment identification and color matching. The following spaces were sampled for analysis:
Dining Room (Period III and IV) 15 samples First-floor Front Hall 14 samples First-floor West Passage 6 samples First-floor Chamber with Study 7 samples Second-floor West Chamber 8 samples Second-floor East Chamber 6 samples Second-floor Passage Stair Hall 7 samples Second-floor South Elevation Exterior 3 samples Third-floor West Chamber (Attic Chamber) 5 samples
At the lab these samples were first examined at 45X magnification with a binocular microscope and then the best samples were selected for analysis. This group of samples was cast into polyester resin cubes for permanent mounting. The cubes were ground and polished for cross-section microscopy analysis and photography. The sample preparation methods and analytical procedures are described in the reference section of this report.
The cast samples were analyzed with a Nikon Eclipse 80i epi-fluorescence microscope equipped with an EXFO X-Cite 120 Fluorescence Illumination System fiberoptic halogen light source and a polarizing light base using SPOT Advanced software (v. 4.6) for digital image capture and Adobe Photoshop CS for digital image management. Digital images of the best representative cross-sections are included in this report. Please note that the colors in the digital images are affected by the variability of color printing and do not accurately represent the actual colors.
Background:
The evolution of Eppington has been thoroughly studied by Colonial Williamsburg Foundation architectural historians Mark R. Wenger, Edward A. Chappell and Willie Graham. The results of this research are compiled in an unpublished report “Eppington: An Architectural Study” dated May 15, 1995. The report has been a valuable resource for dating the paint layers on original architectural features compared to the paints on elements dating to later alterations. Floor plans for the building, as it was expanded during the five building periods identified by Wenger, Chappell and Graham, are very helpful in assessing how the expansions affected the configurations of the first-floor rooms. Because of the additions on three sides of the house, new door openings were created in the central rooms on the first floor, and woodwork elements were added and rearranged. Paint archaeology (comparison of the paint layer stratigraphies on original and later elements) can help to comparatively date some of these changes.
2 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
One of the key conclusions of the Colonial Williamsburg Architectural Research Department report was that the house was not finished on the interior in Period I: “Though the drawing room woodwork and related trim on the upper floors is not original to period I, they were clearly the first finishes to be installed at Eppington. There is not evidence of plaster or other finishes behind the drawing room cornice, nor behind the paneled surrounds of the second-floor fireplaces. That portion of the upstairs partition covered by the second-period attic stair has never been lathed and so proves that the space could not have been finished during initial construction. In fact most of the house – if not the entire structure – remained unplastered until Period IV. 2 The dates proposed for the Eppington construction periods are: Period I ca. 1770; Period II ca. 1783; Period III ca. 1790; Period IV 1798-1802; and Period V ca. 1815.
The drawings which show Periods I to V are reproduced as scanned images for reference below. The floor plans of the building as it is now are also included in this section as it is a helpful reference for sample locations.
2 Wenger, Chappell and Graham. Eppington: An Architectural History”, unpublished report for the Eppington Foundation, 1995. 14. 3 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Analysis Results
The rooms examined in this phase of the paint research date from different periods in the evolution of the house, including the Period I first-floor hall and second-floor passage and chambers. Remarkably, there is also an area of trapped exterior paint on the south elevation which could retain the earliest exterior paints on the cornice and weatherboards. The Period III dining room on the east side of the house was also examined and sampled, as were the first-floor west chamber and passage. The west side of the house underwent more alterations than the central rooms in terms of the repositioning of doors and partition walls, and it was hoped that paint analysis might help to comparatively date some of the door openings. The current configuration of the first-floor rooms was identified as Period V in the Colonial Williamsburg Architectural Research Department report. The woodwork and plaster evidence found in each room is described and illustrated in this section of the report.
First-floor Samples
Dining Room West Period III and IV Chamber
West Passage Hall
Dining Room ( Periods III and IV):
Fourteen samples from different areas of woodwork and one sample of wall plaster were removed for analysis after examining the surfaces on-site with a portable 30X monocular microscope. The paint surfaces are now quite degraded and dirty, and the plaster washes are chalky and flaking. Despite the eroded condition of the painted surfaces, complete paint stratigraphies remain in almost all the areas sampled. In some cases, where the samples separated apart because of the embrittled paints, the wood substrate and the associated paint flakes were cast into the same polyester resin cube for analysis.
In some areas of the room the paint sequences are missing selected layers, which may be due to the samples being taken from protected, inaccessible areas that were not carefully 4 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008 repainted each time. However, with the comparative information provided by the fifteen samples taken from this space it is possible to determine that the room was painted approximately thirteen times. The first generation consists of a coarsely ground, dark yellow, oil-bound paint that was applied to virtually all the woodwork, with the exception of the baseboards, which were black, and the doors, which were dark brown. The wood substrate was first sealed with shellac before painting, so that the first dark yellow woodwork paint would produce an even layer on the surface. A layer of plant resin varnish was found on top of the original dark yellow paint on the mantel and wainscoting cap , possibly to the protect the paint and allow these exposed elements to be cleaned more readily of soot and grime.
The second generation of woodwork paint in the east wing Dining Room was also a dark yellow, but it was somewhat more finely ground and evenly applied. This second generation of yellow is what is now discernible on the protected interior surface of the small closet door on the south side of the chimneypiece. The third generation in the room was a gray paint, followed by a brilliant green paint with very large verdigris particles in the fourth generation. The woodwork paint generations are listed in the table on the following page.
The evidence in sample 12 from the south plaster wall shows that the walls were always coated with thin layers of unpigmented limewash – there are approximately 26 whitewash layers representing possibly 17 generations of limewash.
Pigment analysis with polarized light microscopy shows that the first deep yellow layer is composed of yellow ochre and white lead, while the first baseboard paint is primarily lampblack and iron oxide brown pigments, and the door paint is composed of scattered red ochre particles, lampblack and umbers. Binding media analysis with biological fluorochrome stains shows that all the paint generations on the woodwork have an oil component. Typical autofluorescence characteristics confirmed the presence of a resinous sealant, possibly shellac, in the wood, and a thin plant resin varnish coating on top of the first layer on deep yellow paint on the mantel and wainscoting.
5 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
West wall
13 5 4
7 (closet door) 3 11 (door) 2
8 (inside closet 1 door)
6
Northeast corner
10
9
Reconstructed Paint Stratigraphy in the Dining Room (Northeast Room) Generation Paint Layer 13. Dark tan-yellow with dark baseboards, cap and mantel 12. Off-white? 11. Finely ground green paint 10. Beige with scattered red lead pigments (first layer on mantel where element is missing) 9. Dark yellow 8. Dark yellow with pigmented varnish 7. Light gray 6. Deep yellow 5. Dark yellow-tan paint with brown doors 4. Coarsely ground green with verdigris with black baseboards and red-brown doors 3. Gray paint with black baseboards and brown doors 2. Deep yellow paint with black baseboards and deep yellow doors 1. Plant resin varnish on mantel and wainscot cap 1. Deep yellow paint with black baseboards and brown doors on the west wall Wood substrate sealed with shellac 6 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 1. Dining Room III and IV. West wall, cushion frieze of mantel, south side, lower edge. Uppermost layers missing Visible Light 200X 7. Gray
5. Dark yellow-tan
4. Coarsely ground deep green with large verdigris particles 2. Deep yellow
1. Coarsely ground dark yellow with plant resin varnish Ultraviolet Light 200X
Plant resin varnish layer on top of the first dark yellow paint found only on the mantel
Shellac sealant in the wood
7 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 2. Dining Room III and IV. West wall, upper row of dentils, below shelf, south side. Visible Light 100X
8 6 Large 5 verdigris pigments 4
3 2
1
Ultraviolet Light 100X
8 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 2. Dining Room III and IV. West wall, upper row of dentils, below shelf, south side. Plane polarized transmitted light 400X
Crossed polars (darkfield) 400X
9 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 3. Dining Room III and IV. West wall, outer border of crossetted overmantel panel, lower left corner. Visible Light 200X
First generation of dark yellow paint and later disrupted paint layers above
Ultraviolet Light 200X
10 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 5. Dining Room III and IV. West wall, overmantel panel, just north of applied molding, lower left corner. Visible Light 200X
7 6 5 3 1
Ultraviolet Light 200X
11 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 6. Dining Room III and IV. West wall, pilaster west of fireplace, on missing surbase molding area, smooth beige paint surface. Visible Light 200X
The first layer on the exposed area of the missing molding is generation 10 compared to sample 15 from the baseboard
Ultraviolet Light 200X
12 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 7. Dining Room III and IV. South side of chimney breast, outside surface of small closet door, upper right corner of upper right panel, on ovolo molding. Visible Light 200X
7 4 3 Remnant of generation 10 1
Ultraviolet Light 200X
Sample 8. Dining Room III and IV. South side of chimney breast, inside surface of small closet door, upper left corner of upper left panel. Visible Light 200X
2
1
Ultraviolet Light 200X
13 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 9. Dining Room III and IV. North wall, wainscoting just right of east window, just below cap. Visible Light 200X Degraded verdigris green paint
First dark yellow paint layer
Ultraviolet Light 200X
14 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 10. Dining Room III and IV. North wall, wainscoting, cap, just right of east window. Visible Light Separated flake 100X Ultraviolet Light Later green paint found only on the wainscoting cap
Brown paints match later door paints
Visible Light Substrate 200X Ultraviolet Light
Degraded plant resin varnish on 1 top of first dark yellow paint Resinous sealant, possibly shellac
The paint history on the wainscoting is disrupted, but it begins with the same dark yellow found on the other areas of woodwork in the room
15 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 11. Dining Room III and IV. West wall, door to hall, south edge of middle left panel. Visible Light 200X
6 5
4
3 2 1 First dark brown paint
Ultraviolet Light 200X
16 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 12. Dining Room III and IV. Plaster fragment, south wall, from above wainscoting, between two windows. There are many thin layers of unpigmented limewash on the plaster walls which are all similar in thickness and opacity. Visible Light Separated Flake 200X Ultraviolet Light
Visible Light Plaster Substrate 200X Ultraviolet Light
Plaster browncoat
17 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 13. Dining Room III and IV. Cornice, west wall, above pilaster north of chimneypiece, middle molding of cornice. Visible Light 200X
Generation 10 beige layer is the first paint in sample 6 from the area of the missing molding
First dark yellow
Ultraviolet Light 200X
18 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 14. Dining Room III and IV. South wall, east window architrave, backband molding, east side, about 6-feet up. Visible Light 100X
Remnant of first dark yellow
Ultraviolet Light 100X
19 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 15. Dining Room III and IV. South wall, baseboard plinth below east window (plinth and cap seem to have the same paint history. Visible Light 200X
9
8
7
6 5
The paint history on the baseboards begins with four generations of glossy black Ultraviolet Light 200X paint
20 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
First-floor Hall:
The comparative cross-section evidence suggests that the woodwork in the Period I first- floor Hall was originally painted with a coarsely ground, verdigris-based, green paint which was applied on top of a gray-green primer, but the architectural research suggests the woodwork in this hall was not completed until about Period III.3 So, it is likely that the first green paint on the woodwork dated to ca. 1790. This paint was also varnished, which must have produced a highly glossy surface. This original green paint treatment was found on the paneling below the stairs, the chair boards, cornice, balusters, and window and door architraves. The best cross-section samples which illustrate this green are samples 12 from the stair paneling and 14 from the cornice. It is the same green paint identified as the earliest color on the woodwork in the Period I Dining Room. 4
The evidence also suggests the stairs were originally left unpainted, the doors and baseboards were originally dark brown and the plaster was coated with multiple layers of unpigmented limewash. The patchy light blue and pinkish washes that can now be seen on the plaster walls are likely twentieth-century coatings as they appear so late in the wall paint chronologies.
Like the adjacent Dining Room in the east wing, few of the cross-sections contain the full sequence of eleven generations of paint. This inconsistency is most likely because some of the early layers flaked away, or because many of the samples were taken from remote places that were not carefully repainted each time. Sample 14 from the cornice contains the most intact stratigraphy, and the evidence conclusively shows that the cornice was painted to match the woodwork, not the walls, up until the most recent white paints were applied. The comparative cross-sections also suggest that the woodwork in this entrance hall was painted to match the woodwork in the Period I Dining Room in generations 1 through 4 and then again in generations 7 and 8.
3 See Wenger, Chappell, and Graham, 26. 4 See Buck, “Cross-section Microscopy Report: Interior Paints, Dining Room and Parlor”, February 5, 2007, 4-23. 21 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
14 Sample Locations 1 West end of hall looking east East end of hall looking west
4 (door)
6 2 5
3 11
10 7 8
9 12
13
22 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Reconstructed Paint Stratigraphy in the First-floor Stair Hall Generation Paint Layer 11. Off-white with brown baseboards and doors and blue-washed walls 10. Off-white 9. Blue-green 8. Medium green 7. Beige with scattered red lead pigments on paneling, blue-green on balusters, baseboard and cornice 6. Olive green 5. Medium green 4. Light dull yellow with red-brown baseboards and doors 3. Gray paint with brown baseboards and doors 2. Yellowish-gray paint with brown baseboards and doors 1. Plant resin varnish 1. Coarsely ground verdigris paint with brown baseboards and doors (like the Period I, II Dining Room) 1. Thin gray-green primer Wood substrate sealed with shellac
23 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 1. First-floor hall. South wall plaster, at stair landing, grayish plaster substrate. Visible Light 100X
Utraviolet Light 100X
24 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 2. First-floor hall. South wall plaster, east of south wall door, pinkish-brown plaster with paints. Visible Light 100X Twentieth-century blue- pigmented limewash
Sandy white coat of plaster
Browncoat plaster
Ultraviolet Light 100X
25 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 3. First-floor hall. South wall door architrave, east side, backband molding. Visible Light 100X
Beige paint is the same as generation 10 in the Period III and IV Dining Room
First two generations are missing from the cross- section but present in the Ultraviolet Light 100X uncast sample
26 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 4. First-floor hall. South wall door, upper left corner, middle right panel. Visible Light 100X
Door surfaces have disrupted early paints, but the first layer appears to be dark brown like the doors in the Period I Ultraviolet Light 100X Dining Room
27 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 5. First-floor hall. Stair baluster, fourth up from newel post, south side of top block. Visible Light 100X 11 10
9 8
7
6 5 4 3 2 The verdigris paint was 1 thinly and unevenly applied to this protected area of the baluster
Ultraviolet Light 200X
Shellac sealant in the wood fibers
28 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 7. First-floor hall. Newel post of stairs, east side, below handrail. Visible Light 200X
Remnants of first verdigris green paint layer
Ultraviolet Light 200X
Sample 8. South wall, baseboard above third step. Visible Light 200X
First layer on the stair tread
First dark brown paint on the baseboard matches the first dark brown on Ultraviolet Light 200X the south wall door
29 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 9. First-floor hall. Stairs, green paint on second tread up from floor, adjacent to baseboard, from the edge along side of former stair runner. Visible Light 200X
Paints on the treads begin at generation 8, suggesting the stairs were initially left unpainted and were perhaps covered with a stair carpet
Ultraviolet Light 200X
Grime and grit in the wood
30 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 10. First-floor hall. North wall, chair board right of door, below surbase, just left of window. Visible Light 200X
Remnant of first verdigris-based green paint layer Ultraviolet Light 200X
31 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 12. First-floor hall. South wall, raised paneling below stair, ovolo molding, above triangular panel. Visible Light 200X
1. Coarse verdigris- based paint on gray- green base coat Ultraviolet Light 200X
32 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 13. First-floor hall. North wall baseboard, 3-feet east of front door. Visible Light 200X
First dark brown paint on the baseboard is similar to the door (see sample 4) Ultraviolet Light 200X
UV Light & RHOB for the presence of oils 200X
33 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 14. First-floor hall. South wall, cornice above stair, frieze, east edge. Visible Light 200X
11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 First verdigris-based green 1 paint layer with varnish on top of gray-green primer
Ultraviolet Light 200X
UV Light & DCF for the presence of saturated and unsaturated lipids 200X
34 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
First-floor West Passage:
In Period III the west wing was added to the house. A chamber with a fireplace on its east wall was created on the east end of this new wing, with small storage or closet areas at the west end of the wing. In Period IV the chamber was reduced in size to create an east-west passage for direct access to the small closets or storage rooms at the west end of the house without having to pass through the chamber. The current configuration of the West Passage dates to Period V when the chamber was enlarged to the west and a longer east-west partition wall was constructed.
These alterations suggest the south wall of the West Passage dates to Period V, but it may incorporate Period III elements like doors and architraves which were repositioned. The north wall of the West Passage should retain Period III finishes that relate to the south wall of the adjacent chamber. Six samples were taken from the walls and woodwork of this narrow space to characterize the surviving finishes.
West Passage from east end looking west West Passage from west end looking east
5 (door) 4
1 6
3 2
The cross-section samples show that there are eight generations of paint on the north window architrave and on the south and west wall door architraves. The earliest paint on all the architraves is a medium blue layer made of the pigments Prussian blue and white lead, with a few yellow ochre pigments. The north wall window architrave and south wall door architrave in this passage have identical paint sequences, suggesting they have always been painted to match (and thus were both related to the Period III form of the chamber). The paints on the west wall door architrave diverge at generation 3, which may be related to the rearrangement of the small rooms at the west end of the west wing in Period V. A chart with the comparative sequence of paint layers follows. 35 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Reconstructed Paint Stratigraphy in the West Passage Generation Paint Layer 8. Dull white paint (on the west and south door architraves) 7. Blue-green paint 6. Medium green paint with brown baseboards and doors 5. Olive green paint with brown baseboards and doors 4. Olive green paint with brown baseboards and doors (red-brown on west wall door architrave) 3. Tan paint with brown baseboards and doors (red-brown on the west wall door architrave) 2. Gray paint with dark brown baseboards and doors 1. Blue woodwork and brown doors and baseboards 1. Thin gray primer Wood substrate sealed with shellac
The plaster sample from the north wall shows that the walls were generally coated with unpigmented limewashes, with the exception of a yellow-pigmented limewash in generation 5, and a later blue-pigmented limewash. It is not possible to date the yellow- pigmented limewash, but the blue-pigmented limewash appears to be a twentieth-century coating.
36 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 1. First-floor West Passage. North wall, window architrave, west side, about 4- feet up. Visible Light Separated flake 200X Ultraviolet Light 200X
7 6 5 4 3
2
1
Visible Light Substrate 200X Ultraviolet Light Substrate
1 Shellac sealant in the wood
Original blue on thin gray primer, also found on the door architraves in the first- floor West Chamber
37 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 1. First-floor West Passage. North wall, window architrave, west side, about 4- feet up. Plane polarized transmitted light 400X
Yellow ochre
Clump of Prussian blue pigments surrounded by white lead pigments
Crossed polars (darkfield) 400X
38 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 3. South wall, door architrave, west side, about 4-feet up. Visible Light 100X
First blue layer is present in the uncast sample and was used Ultraviolet Light 100X for color matching
39 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 4. First-floor West Passage. West wall, door architrave, south side, middle molding, about 4-feet up. Visible Light 200X 9 8 7 6
5
4 3 Original blue paint with 2 Prussian blue and white lead 1 may be slightly faded because of light exposure as it faces the north wall window
Ultraviolet Light 200X
1
UV Light & DCF for the presence of saturated and unsaturated lipids 200X
40 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 5. First-floor West Passage. South wall door, upper left corner, middle right panel. Visible Light 200X
Original brown door paint
Ultraviolet Light 200X
UV Light & RHOB for the presence of oils 200X
41 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 6. First-floor West Passage. North wall plaster, west of window, about 5-feet up. Visible Light Separated Flake 200X
Later yellow-pigmented limewash
Visible Light Substrate 200X
At least four generations of unpigmented limewash on top of the plaster
Plaster substrate
42 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
First-floor West Chamber:
The evolution of the house proposed by the Colonial Williamsburg architectural historians is that the west wing was constructed in Period III and at that point the West Chamber was a narrower space on the east side, with one window on the south wall, a door leading from the Period I and II Dining Room on the south side of the fireplace, and a door on the west wall in the northwest corner. There may have been three smaller partitioned rooms, or closets, at the west end, which could be accessed by walking through this chamber.
In Period IV a partition wall was constructed at the north end to create a passage to the small west rooms, resulting in a smaller, more private chamber. In Period V the room was expanded to the west to create the current configuration of the West Chamber, and a door was constructed on the west wall to allow access to the current small southwest room. This series of alterations suggest that the architraves for the door leading into the small southwest room should have a later paint history, unless this door was moved from another area in the west wing. Additionally, the two windows on the south wall might have different paint histories because they were originally in two different spaces.
Northeast corner Southeast corner and chamber window
1 4 5
2
3
43 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Southwest corner and window that was originally in a closet or service space
7
6
On-site investigations and the comparative cross-section paint histories show that the mantel has been repainted many more times than the rest of the woodwork, with 18 generations of paint remaining in situ . There are a number of early, dark, resinous layers on the mantel that do not appear elsewhere in the room, so they could have been maintenance coatings applied only to the mantel to cover dirt and soot accumulations. The cross-section from the mantel is also missing the first generation of blue paint on a gray primer found on the door architraves, so the comparative evidence suggests this mantel may have been moved from another location in the house in generation 6, when a greenish paint was applied to all the woodwork in the room.
The best representative paint chronology in the room, which seems to date to the creation of the Period III chamber, was found in sample 6 from the west wall door architrave. This cross-section contains the same original blue paint on a gray primer found on the north wall window in the West Passage. There are ten generations of paint in this sample, and comparisons of its chronology show that the chair board on the north wall is later as its paints start at generation 3. It also shows that the architrave for the north wall door must be original to this space as its paints begin with the same blue paint on top of a gray primer. So, while the doors in the west wall and north wall are not in their Period III orientation they do seem to relate to the Period III creation of this room.
The paint sequences on both window architraves begin with the same blue paint on a translucent gray primer, suggesting either that they were not painted until Period V when the room was enlarged, or that the woodwork in the West Chamber was painted to match the closet or service space adjoining it to the west in Period III.
44 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
The evidence in sample 7 from the west wall show that there are approximately ten generations of unpigmented limewash on this Period V wall. This suggests that the room continued to be coated with unpigmented limewashes originally, as well as long after it was enlarged in Period V. The wallpaper fragments were not analyzed, but on-site observations at 30X showed the presence of wood fibers which indicates the earliest paper is wood pulp-based and could not be an eighteenth-century installation.
The doors and baseboards were painted with the same sequence of dark browns, followed by red-browns, found on similar elements in the first- and second-floor rooms.
45 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 6. First-floor West Chamber. West wall door architrave. Paint Chronology Generation Layer 11. Dull white (Generation 18 on the mantel) 10. White (Generation 17 on the mantel) 9. Bright red (Generation 16 on the mantel) 8. Bright red (Generation 15 on the mantel) 8. Red-orange primer 7. Plant resin varnish 7. Green First matching layer on the mantel 6. Olive green 6. Light green primer 5. Tannish yellow 4. Resinous tannish-yellow 3. Gray paint Paints on north wall chair board start here 2. Varnish layer 2. Yellowish-gray Dark brown baseboards and door 1. Blue Dark brown baseboards and door 1. Gray primer Wood substrate
46 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 1. First-floor West Chamber. Mantel, north side of upper left panel on frieze above firebox. Visible Light 100X
The first layer on the mantel that lines up with the woodwork in the West Chamber
Large flake of charcoal trapped in the paint layers
Three resinous varnishes First dark gray paint layer Ultraviolet Light 100X
Visible Light 200X (earliest layers)
First dark gray paint layer
47 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 2. First-floor West Chamber. North wall, chair board west of door, old paint adjacent to new gray paint, top edge. Visible Light 200X
Generation 3 in sample 6 from the west wall door architrave confirms that this chair board is a later Ultraviolet Light 200X element, likely Period V construction
48 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 3. First-floor West Chamber. North wall, baseboard west of door, top edge. Visible Light 200X
Original dark brown paint
Ultraviolet Light 200X
49 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 4. First-floor West Chamber. North wall, door architrave, west side, about 4-feet up. Visible Light 200X
11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 Original blue paint layer 3 on light gray primer also found on the 2 architrave for the west 1 wall door
Ultraviolet Light 200X UV Light & RHOB for oils 200X All layers reacted positively for oils
50 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 5. First-floor West Chamber. South wall, window architrave, backband of east window, about 5-feet up, east side. Visible Light 200X
The first generation of blue paint is missing in the cross-section but is Ultraviolet Light 200X present in several uncast samples taken from the same location
51 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 6. First-floor West Chamber. West wall, door architrave, south side, backband molding, about 4-feet up. Visible Light 200X
11
10
8
8
7 6 5 4 3
2 Original blue paint layer on 1 thin gray primer
Ultraviolet Light 200X
52 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 7. First-floor West Chamber. West wall, plaster south of door, about 5-feet up. There are at least fifteen generations of unpigmented limewashes on the west wall plaster. Visible Light 100X
Ultraviolet Light 100X
53 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Second-floor Samples:
Trapped exterior elements
West Chamber
East Chamber
Passage
Second-floor West Chamber:
The second-floor West Chamber dates to the Period I construction of the house, but the woodwork and plaster may not have been completed until Period II when the central block of the building was trimmed. 5 The study conducted by Wenger, Chappell and Graham indicated that the exterior doors and windows were cased in Period I. In Period II the cornice was cut to fit around the window architraves, confirming it was installed after the architraves had been installed. Eight samples were taken from the woodwork, plaster, and an area of the cornice in the southeast corner of the room that was formerly enclosed by a closet.
5 See Wenger, Chappell and Graham, “Eppington: An Architectural History”, p.16. 54 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
West wall
4 (architrave of west window ) 1
2
Southwest corner
6
5
7
3 (baseboard north of door)
The comparative paint evidence shows that there are seven generations of paint in this room and the paint histories on the mantel and windows architraves can be aligned to show that all the elements were painted at the same time. The first generation of paint on the woodwork is a blue paint composed primarily of Prussian blue and white lead, applied on top of a gray primer. This is very similar to the earliest paints found on the woodwork in the first-floor West Passage and Chamber, suggesting all three spaces may have first been painted at the same time.
55 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
The paint evidence on the door begins with the same dark brown found on the original first-floor doors, but in this room evidence indicates the baseboards were originally black, not dark brown. The earliest paint on the fireplace surround, but not the mantel paneling, was also originally black. Then the baseboards and fireplace were repainted brown to match the door in the second generation.
Sample 5 from the cornice in the former closet shows that the wood in this area was never painted, so it is likely that the closet was installed before the room was painted, and the partition walls for the closet were removed sometime in the twentieth century after the last paint generation on the woodwork. By comparison, sample 6, from an area of the cornice just to the right of the closet, begins with the same blue finish paint on a light gray primer found on all the other woodwork in this room. So, while the woodwork might not all have been completed at the same time, the first generation of blue paint was not applied until all the woodwork, including the cornice, had been installed.
There are remnants of degraded limewash and white finish plaster below the wallpaper on the south wall of the former closet, which suggests the closet plaster, and likely all the wall plaster, were originally coated with an unpigmented limewash.
56 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 1. West Chamber. West wall, paneling surrounding fireplace, left backband molding, about 4-feet up (blue). Visible Light 200X
Earliest blue paint layer on light gray primer
Ultraviolet Light 200X
57 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 2. West Chamber. West wall, fireplace surround, outer quarter round molding (later blacks), about 2-feet up. Visible Light 200X
Coarse brown paints are somewhat disrupted, but match the door paints in generations 2 through 5 Original black paint layer on light gray primer Ultraviolet Light 200X
58 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 3. West Chamber. East wall, baseboard left of door. Visible Light 200X
Original black paint on wood
Ultraviolet Light 200X
Sample 4. West Chamber. South wall, west window, east architrave, about 5-feet up, outer backband molding. Visible Light 200X
7 6 5 4 3 2 Original blue paint on 1 light gray primer
Ultraviolet Light 200X
59 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 4. West Chamber. South wall, west window, east architrave, about 5-feet up, outer backband molding. Pigments in first blue paint layer. Plane polarized transmitted light 400X
Clumps of Prussian blue
White lead pigments
Crossed polars (darkfield) 400X
60 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 5. West Chamber.Southeast corner, in former area of closet, cornice. Visible Light 100X
Ultraviolet Light 100X
Bare wood surface
Sample 6. West Chamber. Southeast corner, cornice, right of closet enclosure. Visible Light 200X Original blue paint on light gray primer
Ultraviolet Light 200X
61 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 7. West Chamber. Whitewash below earliest wallpaper on south wall of closet. Visible Light 100X
Degraded limewash remnants are difficult to decipher but the grit and mold may be partly due to the presence of wallpaper starch paste Ultraviolet Light 100X
Sample 8. West Chamber. Interior of door, east wall, upper left corner, middle left panel. Visible Light 200X
Ultraviolet Light 200X
First dark brown door paint like the first-floor doors
62 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Second-floor East Chamber:
The results of the Colonial Williamsburg architectural investigation indicated that the woodwork in this room dates to Period II. There is physical evidence that there was a fire just after the Period II woodwork in was in place: “a fire in the wall, just to the left of the east second-floor fireplace, required that one of the raised panels of the chimney wainscot be chopped out to distinguish it. The occurrence of this fire in Period II strongly suggests the house was being lived in at the time.” 6 Evidence of this fire, in the form of soot trapped between paint layers or on the wood, or charring, might remain in the cross- section samples.
East wall
1
2
5 West wall
4
3
6 (room side of door)
6 See Wenger, Chappell and Graham, “Eppington: An Architectural History”, p. 25. 63 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
The evidence in the six samples taken from this room shows that the woodwork was painted seven times, like the West Chamber across the hall. The first generation of paint is a coarsely ground, yellowish-green, paint with large verdigris pigment particles. This yellowish-green paint was applied on top of a light gray primer. The second generation is a medium gray paint, followed by a light gray paint in generation 3. The fourth generation consists of a thin green finish coat on top of a tannish-yellow primer, followed by a thin deep red-brown paint in generation 5. The two uppermost layers are unweathered, finely ground, twentieth-century white and cream-colored paints.
The best example of the complete woodwork paint chronology in this room is cross- section sample 3 from the architrave for the west window on the south wall. There is no evidence of soot or charring in any of the samples, suggesting the room was painted for the first time after the fire behind the east wall paneling.
Sample 6 from the west wall door shows that this door was originally painted deep brown, like the other early doors in the house, followed by at least four generations of coarsely ground deep red-brown paints. At least ten generations of unpigmented limewash were found in sample 4 from the south wall plaster.
64 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 1. East Chamber. East wall, paneling surrounding fireplace, left stile, about 5- feet up. Visible Light 100X
Remnants of the first yellowish-green paint on top of a whitish primer
Ultraviolet Light 100X
Sample 2. East Chamber. East wall, molding surrounding fireplace opening, left side. Visible Light 200X
First thin dark brown layer
Ultraviolet Light 200X
65 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 3. East Chamber. South wall, west window, right architrave, about 5-feet up. Visible Light 200X
6 7 5 4 3 2 Original yellowish- 1 green finish coat with large verdigris pigments on light gray primer
Ultraviolet Light 200X
66 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 4. East Chamber. South wall, southwest corner, plaster at crack about 5 ½-feet up. Visible Light 100X
Multiple generations of unpigmented limewashes
Sandy white coat of plaster
Ultraviolet Light 200X
67 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 5. East Chamber. West wall, cornice, right of south west corner. Visible Light 200X
Original yellowish- green paint on light gray primer
Ultraviolet Light 200X
Sample 6. East Chamber. West wall, door, left edge of middle left panel. Visible Light 200X Substrate
Original thin dark brown paint layer
Ultraviolet Light 200X
68 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Second-floor Passage and Stair Hall:
The architectural investigations concluded that the attic stair was completed during Period II when new dormers were added to the attic room to make it more habitable: “Though inferior in location, this attic stair is more elaborate and more carefully constructed than the main one below it. The implication is that Eppes intended a more finely finished stairway below, but failed to finish it until a period in which less refined joinery was being accepted in exchange for having a completed house in which to live.” 7
North side of stair Detail of balusters and brackets 3, 6, 7 (from Passage plaster and woodwork)
4 5 2
1
Seven samples were taken from representative areas of woodwork and plaster in this passage and the comparative evidence suggests that the first generation of paint on the woodwork – a coarse verdigris green paint on a light gray-green primer – is the same as the first generation of paint on the woodwork in the first-floor entrance hall. This important comparison shows that this two-story hall space was not painted until the attic stair was completed, most likely after Period II. The cornice was initially painted with the same coarse verdigris paint as the rest of the woodwork.
The best examples of the full paint stratigraphy on the woodwork in this space are cross- section samples 1, from the handrail for the attic stair, and 2, from a baluster for the attic stair. There are five generations of paint on the woodwork in this room and the only woodwork samples that vary in chronology are samples 5 from the corner board on the south side of the stairs and sample 7 from a section of baseboard. Sample 5 begins with the same verdigris green paint, followed by an off-white wall paint, then generations 3 through 6 are variations of deep red and red-brown. The baseboards were originally dark
7 See Wenger, Chappell and Graham, “Eppington: An Architectural History”, p. 13. 69 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008 brown, like the baseboards in the first-floor Hall, but the baseboards on the second floor were repainted less frequently than those on the first floor.
Sample 3 from the east wall of the passage shows that the white finish plaster was initially coated with at least thirteen generations of unpigmented limewashes, showing the plaster in the entire stair hall, from the first to the third floor was plain white until the twentieth century.
70 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 1. Second-floor Passage and Stair Hall. Handrail, north side, above fifth baluster from first step. Visible Light 200X
5 4 3
2 1
Ultraviolet Light 200X
Sample 2. Second-floor Passage and Stairhall. Baluster, upper turning, fifth baluster up from first step. Visible Light 200X
5
4 3
2
1 Original verdigris- based green paint on top of light gray-green primer Ultraviolet Light 200X
71 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 3. Second-floor Passage and Stairhall. Plaster in passage, east wall, right of corner board. Multiple generations of unpigmented limewash on the white finish plaster Visible Light 100X
Ultraviolet Light 100X
72 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 4. Second-floor Passage and Stair Hall. Panel below stair stringer, below sixth step up (green). Visible Light 200X
Original verdigris-based green paint on light gray primer
Ultraviolet Light 200X
73 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 5. Second-floor Passage and Stair Hall. Corner board on south side of stairs, about 6-feet up at bead. Visible Light 200X Separated paint flake
Visible Light 200X Substrate First green paint layer on top of light gray primer
74 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 6. Second-floor Passage and Stair Hall. Cornice in passage, east wall at stair opening. Visible Light 200X
First green paint layer on light gray- green primer
Ultraviolet Light 200X
75 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 7. Second-floor Passage and Stair Hall. Passage, east wall baseboard, just left of door to east chamber. Visible Light 200X
Original dark brown paint layer on baseboards
Ultraviolet Light 200X
76 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Second-floor Trapped Exterior of South Elevation:
Trapped original exterior cornice from the south elevation
2
1
In 1999 Willie Graham, Curator of Architecture at Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, removed nine samples from selected areas of the exterior of Eppington and submitted them for analysis. The results of this earlier analysis work suggested that the ca. 1850 board and batten siding from the land-side porch contained seven generations of white and off-white paint. All of the paints in this paint sequence appeared to be opaque oil- bound paints. 8
The three samples taken from three different areas of the trapped siding and cornice on the east elevation show that the sample from the board and batten siding contains unpigmented limewashes as the earliest coatings. In sample 3, from the board and batten siding, the paint sequence begins with at least five generations of unpigmented limewashes. However, in sample 2 from a protected area of the cornice soffit, there are two generations of weathered, oil-bound, off-white paints that predate the unpigmented limewashes. This limited evidence seems to suggest that the cornice was originally painted off-white with a durable oil-bound paint. The later unpigmented limewashes found on the cornice and siding were perhaps an inexpensive way to freshen the exterior wooden elements, although these limewashes are coatings are more typically used on outbuildings, not on the exteriors of more important houses.
8 See Susan L. Buck, “Eppington, Chesterfield, Virginia: Cross-section Microscopy Report”, unpublished report for Chesterfield Parks and Recreation, November 11, 1999. 16. 77 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 1. Trapped Exterior Siding. Protected exterior siding of south elevation, left of door. Visible Light 100X
There are at least four generations of degraded unpigmented limewashes on top of the wood, below a modern green paint layer
Visible Light 200X
Ultraviolet Light 200X
78 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 2. Trapped Exterior Siding. Protected soffit of original modillion cornice. Visible Light 100X
Two generations of fragmentary off-white, oil-bound paint below two limewash layers
Ultraviolet Light 100X
79 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 3. Trapped Exterior Siding. Vertical board left of stair (original board and batten). Visible Light 100X
The earliest coatings consist of at least five generations of degraded unpigmented limewashes Ultraviolet Light 100X
80 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Third Floor (Attic):
Hall Attic Chamber
Third-floor West Chamber (Attic Chamber)
Three samples were taken from the woodwork and one sample was taken from the plaster in the Attic Chamber, and one sample was taken from the wooden surround for the ceiling opening in the third-floor hall to compare the surviving paints with the findings on the first and second floor.
Not surprisingly, the evidence shows that the woodwork and plaster on the third floor were painted considerably less often than the lower floors. There are four generations of paint on the door, baseboard and window architraves. The original dark brown paint on the door appears to be the same dark brown identified on the doors and baseboards on the second floor. Likewise, the second-generation coarse red-brown paint on these elements is the same as the comparable layer found on the first and second-floor baseboards and doors.
The window and door architraves were originally painted light green on an off-white primer, followed by a gray paint in generation 2 and a tannish paint in generation 3 (which was also found on the door and baseboards). This same later tan paint is the only layer on the wooden surround for the ceiling opening in the third-floor hall, suggesting it was a later installation as there is no dirt on the wood below the tan layer. The uppermost paint on the woodwork in the third-floor Chamber is a more recent red-brown which was found as the most recent paint on the corner board in the second-floor passage.
81 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
In sample 4 from the wall plaster there are only two generations of unpigmented limewash on top of the white finish plaster.
East wall
3 (interior of door)
4
Southeast corner
2 (corner board on east side of window, north wall)
1 (baseboard in northwest corner)
Surround of opening in hall ceiling outside of chamber
5
82 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 1. Attic Chamber. Northwest corner baseboard. Visible Light 200X
4 3
2 First dark brown baseboard paint 1 resembles the earliest paints on the first- and second-floor baseboards Ultraviolet Light 200X
83 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 2. Attic Chamber. North wall, corner board on east side of window. Visible Light 200X
Third-generation tan paint also found on the baseboards Remnant of gray paint
First light blue-green paint on top of thin white primer
Disrupted wood fibers on the wood surface
Ultraviolet Light 200X
Sample 3. Attic Chamber. East wall door, upper left panel, left side. Visible Light 100X
4 3 Second red-brown paint layer on the door lines up with the 2 second-generation red-brown paint on the door in the second-floor West Chamber Ultraviolet Light 100X (see sample 6 from the West Chamber) Remnant of first- generation dark brown paint
84 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 4. Attic Chamber. North wall, northeast corner, plaster at fine horizontal crack, about 4-feet up. Visible Light 100X
Two generations of unpigmented limewash on top of a later fine white finish plaster
Sandy white finish plaster similar to the original plaster in the second-floor east and west chambers
Ultraviolet Light 100X
85 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample 5. Attic Passage. Surround of opening in hall ceiling outside of chamber, west side. Visible Light 200X Third generation paint on the woodwork in the Attic Chamber
Ultraviolet Light 200X
86 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Conclusion:
Cross-section microscopy analysis of the paints in the first, second and third-floor rooms shows that there are distinct relationships between the paint colors used in similar and adjoining spaces. There is also a consistent practice of painting specific elements, such as doors and baseboards, the same colors each time the interior was repainted. The comparative evidence strongly suggests that the interior of the entire house was not painted until the east and west wings were added and the attic stair was constructed. This appears to relate to Period III in the house, identified as ca. 1790.
The most obvious use of the same paint treatment in several rooms was found in the stair hall. In the first, second and third-floor spaces the stair elements (balusters, paneling, cornice) begin with the same coarsely ground verdigris paint applied on top of a gray- green primer. During the earlier phase of paint research very similar green paint was identified as the first generation paint in the Period I and II Dining Room. 9 At the time this green paint was identified as Period II, but because of its similar pigment composition and identical gray base coat color, it seems more likely that the earlier Dining Room was not actually painted until Period III, when stair hall was completed and painted. This would have produced an extraordinary set of brilliantly colored green spaces for entertaining and circulation in the house. A yellowish-green verdigris paint on a gray primer was found as the first paint layer in the East Chamber, but this paint is not as brilliantly colored as the green found in the stair hall and Period I Dining Room.
Three other spaces share the same color palette. A coarsely ground Prussian blue and white-lead based paint on a gray primer was found as earliest paint on the woodwork in the original configuration of the first-floor West Chamber (which now includes the West Passage) and in the second-floor West Chamber. It is likely that this was a Period III paint treatment based on the dates established for the west wing as part of the architectural research. The blue woodwork paint seems to have been applied before the West Passage was constructed in Period IV.
Another use of similar colors was found on the doors and baseboards. The same dark brown paint was originally used on the doors and baseboards all the rooms except the second-floor West Chamber and the baseboards in the east wing dining room. Interestingly, no evidence of early grain-painting was found on any of the doors, although graining was a very common treatment for doors in contemporary houses like Mount Vernon and the slightly later doors at Monticello.
Multiple layers of unpigmented limewashes were found as the earliest coatings on all the walls in all the rooms examined. There is no evidence of early pigmented limewashes or early wallpapers. The limited wallpaper evidence in the first- and second-floor west chambers seems to date to the twentieth century.
9 Buck, “Cross-section Microscopy Report: Interior Paints, Dining Room and Parlor”, 2007. 87 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
One anomaly in terms of paint colors was found in the east wing Period III and IV Dining Room. This was the only room in which two generations of dark yellow paint were discovered as the earliest woodwork paints on the architraves, paneling and cornice. This color was not found anywhere else in the house. Another anomaly was the paint stratigraphy on the mantel in the first-floor West Chamber. None of the early coatings on this mantel can be aligned with the woodwork paints, so perhaps the mantel was moved to that room from another location, or it was recoated much more often with pigmented resinous varnishes as maintenance coatings. This would have been an effective way to cover over accumulations of soot and grime.
The Attic Chamber was painted with far less frequency than the first and second-floor woodwork and plaster, but, importantly, the comparative paint evidence suggests the attic woodwork was initially painted at the same time as the other woodwork in the house. So, it suggests that none of the woodwork in the house was painted until the attic stair was completed and the gables were constructed to create a third-floor chamber. By comparison, there is only one paint layer on the wooden surround for the attic ceiling opening. This dark tan paint layer can be aligned with the third generation of paint in the Attic Chamber, suggesting this architectural element is a considerably later installation.
The limited exterior evidence suggests that the exterior cornice, and likely the rest of the exterior, was initially painted with an oil-bound off-white paint. Later coatings include many unpigmented limewashes, which were perhaps applied to freshen the exterior without incurring the expense of more durable, opaque, white lead-based, oil-bound paints.
Pigment analysis using polarized light microscopy analysis was conducted for selected samples, and the results relate directly to the earlier phase of interior paint analysis at Eppington. The bright green copper-based pigment verdigris, Cu(C 2H3O2)2-2Cu(OH) 2, was identified in the cross-sections based on the presence of large, chunky, bright green, translucent particles and the lack of autofluorescence in those oil-bound layers. Verdigris was the most brilliant green pigment available in the eighteenth and early nineteenth century, but it is chemically unstable and will discolor to brown or black when exposed to weathering and light. The pigments in the first blue layers in the first-floor and second- floor West Chambers were identified as white lead, Prussian blue, and a few isolated red ochre particles. The first dark brown paint on the doors and baseboards is primarily red ochre, with some burnt sienna and lampblack.
As stated in the earlier paint report, it is important to settle on a philosophy for the interpretation of the interior. The comparative evidence suggests the house was not entirely painted until Period III, but the current configuration relates to Period V. This is most relevant in terms of deciding how to interpret the first-floor west wing because of the changes in chamber, west passage and small storage spaces that took place in Periods IV and V.
It is also important to establish a philosophy for conservation and stabilization of the surviving paints. Typical painting practices include removal of flaking and unstable paints prior to repainting, and most commercial painters would propose to strip away all 88 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008 the paints before repainting. As stated earlier, that approach is absolutely not appropriate at Eppington. One of the most unique and important characteristics of Eppington is its accretions of architectural changes and paint layers applied over time. Removal of any of the historic paints would compromise the ability to conduct further research in the future and would result in the loss of historic material. Further research would be required before determining the best approach for saving and protecting the interior paints at Eppington, and this is an area that must be addressed at the same time as a plan for repainting and/or reinterpreting the rooms is devised.
The table below shows the comparative paint sequences in the first, second and third- floor rooms. Color matches for the first-generation paints that have not yet been matched are included at the end of this report. A match for the brilliant green paint found in the stair hall and in the Period I and II Dining Room was provided as part of the earlier research (Benjamin Moore #2036-20 “Irish Moss”). The dark brown paint on the doors and baseboards was also matched earlier (Benjamin Moore #HC-71 “Hasbrouck Brown”).
89 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Paint Colors by Room and by Period Room/Element Period II Period III Period IV Period V Period VI Dining Room Period III and IV Walls Limewash Limewash Limewash Limewash Paneling Tannish-yellow Tannish-yellow Gray Verdigris green Doors Dark brown Tannish-yellow Red-brown Brown Baseboards Black Deep red- Red-brown Brown brown Cornice Tannish-yellow Tannish-yellow Gray Verdigris green First-floor Stair Hall Walls Limewash Limewash Limewash Limewash Paneling and Coarse Yellowish-gray Gray Dull yellow architraves verdigris green on gray-green primer Doors Dark brown Deep red- Deep red- Brown brown brown Baseboards Dark brown Deep red- Deep red- Brown brown brown Cornice Coarse Yellowish-gray Gray Dull yellow verdigris green on gray-green primer First-floor West Passage Walls Limewash Limewash Limewash Limewash Architraves Blue on gray Gray Tan (west wall Olive green primer door architrave (west wall door was red- architrave was brown) dark red- brown) Doors Dark brown Deep red- Deep red- Deep red- brown brown brown Baseboards Dark brown Deep red- Deep red- Brown brown brown First-floor West Chamber Walls Plaster Limewash Limewash Limewash Architraves Blue on gray Yellow-gray Gray Tannish-yellow primer Doors Dark brown Deep red- Deep red- Brown brown brown Baseboards Dark brown Glossy deep Glossy deep Glossy deep red-brown red-brown red-brown Mantel Dark gray Pigmented Pigmented Pigmented varnish varnish varnish
90 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Paint Colors by Room and by Period Second-floor Period I Period II Period III Period IV Period V West Chamber Walls Limewash Limewash Limewash Limewash Architraves Blue on gray Gray Deep yellow Dull Green and mantel primer paneling Fireplace Thin black on Dark brown Red-brown Red-brown surround gray primer Doors Dark brown Deep red- Deep red- Brown brown brown Baseboards Thin black Deep red- Deep red- Brown brown brown Second-floor East Chamber Walls Limewash Limewash Limewash Limewash Architraves Yellowish- Gray Light gray Dull yellow and mantel green on gray paneling primer Doors Dark brown Deep red- Deep red- Brown brown brown Baseboards Dark brown Deep red- Deep red- Brown brown brown Second-floor Passage Walls Limewash Limewash Limewash Limewash Architraves Verdigris green Gray Yellow Green on gray primer Doors Dark brown Deep red- Deep red- Brown brown brown Baseboards Dark brown Deep red- Deep red- Dark gray brown brown Third-floor Attic Chamber Walls No plaster ? Limewash Limewash Architraves Light green on Gray Dark tan Red-brown off-white primer Door Dark brown Deep red- Dark tan Dark green brown Baseboards Dark brown Glossy deep Dark tan Brown red-brown Attic ceiling Dark tan surround
91 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
COLOR MEASUREMENT PROCEDURES
Uncast portions of the paints from the most intact areas of the woodwork were matched by eye at 30X magnification using a Munsell swatch book for reference and where possible, the layers were also measured with a Minolta Chroma Meter CR-241, a tristimulus color analyzer/microscope with color measurement area of 0.3mm. This instrument has an internal, 360-degree pulsed xenon arc lamp and provides an accurate color measurement in a choice of five different three-coordinate color systems.
The measurements were first generated in the Munsell color system (a color standard used in the architectural preservation field), and after the measurements were taken the closest Munsell color swatches from a standard Munsell Book of Color (gloss paint standards) were compared under 30X magnification to the actual samples. The measurements were also generated in the CIE L*a*b* color space system, which is currently one of the most widely accepted industry color space measuring systems.
Several of the early layers turned out to be too degraded or uneven to allow accurate color measurements so these layers were only matched by eye at 30X under a color- controlled light source. Appropriate period colors were chosen for these elements from the Benjamin Moore Color Preview collection.
92 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
East Wing Dining Room Periods III and IV – Samples 2, 5, 8, 9 First Generation (Period III) Dark Yellow Paint
Color Measurements – February 19, 2008 Color System* Coordinates Munsell Hue Value Chroma 9.1YR 4.8 3.7 CIE L*a*b* Black to White Green to Red Blue to Yellow L48.90 a+6.82 b+23.37
Benjamin Moore #2161-30 “dark mustard”
Color System* Coordinates Munsell Hue Value Chroma 8.3YR 5.5 5.0 CIE L*a*b* Black to White Green to Red Blue to Yellow L56.25 a+9.68 b+30.25
The Benjamin Moore commercial match is a very good visual match under 30X magnification with a color-controlled light source. The primary difference is in the “L” value, showing the commercial match is just slightly lighter than the actual sample, and the difference in the b value shows that the match is slightly more yellow than the original color. However, the first dark yellow is degraded and darkened from age and grime so this is a good replication of the dark yellow color (a typical yellow ochre color) when freshly applied. The appearance of this layer and binding media reactions suggest it was moderately glossy.
93 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
East Wing Dining Room Periods III and IV – Sample 15 First Generation (Period III) Black Baseboard Paint Note: This black paint was also found on the baseboards and fireplace surround in the second-floor West Chamber
Color Measurements – February 19, 2008
Benjamin Moore Ready Mix Black Interior Room
Color System* Coordinates Munsell Hue Value Chroma 2.8PB 2.2 0.2 CIE L*a*b* Black to White Green to Red Blue to Yellow L22.78 a-0.05 b-1.09
The first black paint color was too degraded and uneven to allow accurate color measurement, but the Benjamin Moore Ready Mix Black is a very good visual match at 30X under a color-corrected light source. This baseboard color was originally glossy.
94 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
West Wing Chamber and Passage – Samples 1, 4, 5, 6 First Generation (Period III) Blue Paint Note: This blue paint was also used on the woodwork in the second-floor West Chamber
Color Measurements – February 19, 2008
Benjamin Moore #HC-159 Philipsburg Blue ”
Color System* Coordinates Munsell Hue Value Chroma 8.6PB 4.7 2.4 CIE L*a*b* Black to White Green to Red Blue to Yellow L47.92 a-3.25 b-9.71
The remnants of the first blue paint were too degraded and uneven to allow accurate color measurement. This swatch of Benjamin Moore HC-159 is a very good visual match under 30X magnification with a color-controlled light source and it is appropriate for the replication of a traditional mixture of Prussian blue and white lead. The appearance of this layer and binding media reactions suggest it was only moderately glossy.
95 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
East Chamber – Samples 3, 5 First Generation (Period III) Yellowish-green paint
Color Measurements – February 19, 2008
Benjamin Moore #HC-113 “Louisburg Green”
Color System* Coordinates Munsell Hue Value Chroma 3.4GY 6.2 1.8 CIE L*a*b* Black to White Green to Red Blue to Yellow L63.29 a-5.57 b+11.71
The yellowish-green-gray woodwork color in the East Chamber was far to degraded to allow for accurate color measurement and matching. But HC-113 is an appropriate approximation of this color based on its pigment composition and appearance in cross- section at 200X.
96 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Attic Chamber – Sample 2 First Generation (Period III) Light Green
Color Measurements – February 19, 2008
Benjamin Moore #HC-142 “Stratton Blue”
Color System* Coordinates Munsell Hue Value Chroma 0.7BG 6.5 1.6 CIE L*a*b* Black to White Green to Red Blue to Yellow L66.07 a-8.39 b+1.24
The light greenish woodwork color in the Attic Chamber was far to degraded to allow for accurate color measurement and matching. But HC-142 is an appropriate approximation of this color based on its pigment composition and appearance in cross-section at 200X.
97 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
* COLOR SYSTEMS – Derived from the Minolta CR-241 Instruction Manual and Minolta Precise Color Communication
Chroma Meter CR-241 offers five different color systems for measuring absolute chromaticity: CIE Yxy (1931), L*a*b* (1976), and L*C*H* (1976) colorimetric densities DxDyDz; Munsell notation and four systems for measuring color differences.
For two colors to match, three quantities defining color must be identical. These three quantities are called tristimulus values X, Y, and Z as determined by CIE (Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage) in 1931.
Color as perceived has three dimensions: hue, chroma and lightness. Chromaticity includes hue and chroma (saturation), specified by two chromaticity coordinates. Since these two coordinates cannot describe a color completely, a lightness factor must also be included to identify a specimen color precisely.
Munsell Color System: The Munsell color system consists of a series of color charts which are intended to be used for visual comparison with the specimen. Colors are defined in terms of the Munsell Hues (H; indicates hue), Munsell Value (V; indicates lightness), and Munsell Chroma (C; indicates saturation) and written as H V/C.
CIE Yxy (CIE 1931): In the Yxy (CIE 1931) color system, Y is a lightness factor expressed as a percentage based on a perfect reflectance of 100%, x and y are the chromaticity coordinates of the CIE x, y Chromaticity Diagram.
CIE L*a*b*: Equal distances in the CIE x,y Chromaticity Diagram do not represent equal differences in color as perceived. The CIE L*a*b* color system, however, more closely represents human sensitivity to color…Equal distances in this system approximately equal perceived color differences. L* is the lightness variable; a* and b* are the chromaticity coordinates
∆E: ∆E (Delta E) is the industry measure used to determine how closely two colors match in the CIE L*a*b*. The symbol ∆ means “the change in”. It is based on calculating the sum of the differences between each measure. The calculation is: ∆E = ( L*) 2 + ( a*) 2 + ( b*) 2 , or, the color difference equals the square root of the squared sums of the differences between each of the three L* a* b* tristimulus values. Industry color standards indicate a ∆E of 1 is barely perceptible to the human eye, and a ∆E of 6 to 7 is acceptable for color matches in the printing industry.
98 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
REFERENCES
Cross-section Preparation Procedures :
The samples were cast in mini-cubes of polyester resin (Excel Technologies, Inc., Enfield, CT). The resin was allowed to cure for 24 hours at room temperature and under ambient light. The cubes were then ground to expose the cross-sections, and dry polished with 400 and 600 grit wet-dry papers and Micro-Mesh polishing cloths, with grits from 1500 to 12,000.
The cast samples were analyzed and photographed using a Nikon Eclipse 80i epi- fluorescence microscope equipped with an EXFO X-Cite 120 Fluorescence Illumination System fiberoptic halogen light source and a polarizing light base using SPOT Advanced software (v. 4.6) for digital image capture and Adobe Photoshop CS for digital image management. The samples were photographed in reflected visible and ultraviolet light using a UV-2A filter with 330-380 nm excitation, 400 nm dichroic mirror and a 420 nm barrier filter. Photographs were taken at 100X, 200X and 400X magnifications.
The following fluorescent and visible light stains were used for examination of the samples:
Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) 0.2% in anhydrous acetone to identify the presence of proteins. Positive reaction color is yellowish-green.
Triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) 4.0% in ethanol to identify the presence of carbohydrates (starches, gums, sugars). Positive reaction color is dark red or brown.
2, 7 Dichlorofluorescein (DCF) 0.2% in ethanol to identify the presence of saturated and unsaturated lipids (oils). Positive reaction for saturated lipids is pink and unsaturated lipids is yellow.
Rhodamine B (RHOB) 0.06% in ethanol to identify the presence of oils. Positive reaction color is bright orange.
N-(6-methoxy-8-quinolyl)-p-toluenesulfonamide (TSQ) 0.2% in ethanol to mark the presence of Zn in the cast cross-section. Positive reaction color is bright blue- white.
Pigment Preparation Procedures:
Pigments from individual paint layers were scraped with a clean scalpel onto microscope slides. The pigments were crushed and dispersed with a scalpel and permanently mounted under cover slips with Cargille MeltMount with a refractive index of 1.66. The pigments were examined under plane polarized light and crossed polars (darkfield) at
99 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
400X magnification and 1000X magnification (with a 100X oil immersion objective). Unknown pigments were also compared to a standard set of reference pigments.
Information Provided by Ultraviolet Light Microscopy :
When viewed under visible light, cross-sections which contain ground, paint and varnish may often be difficult to interpret, particularly because clear finish layers look uniformly brown or tan. It may be impossible using only visible light to distinguish between multiple varnish layers. Illumination with ultraviolet light provides considerably more information about the layers present in a sample because different organic, and some inorganic, materials autofluoresce (or glow) with characteristic colors.
There are certain fluorescence colors which indicate the presence of specific types of materials. For example: shellac fluoresces orange (or yellow-orange) when exposed to ultraviolet light, while plant resin varnishes (typically amber, copal, sandarac and mastic) fluoresce bright white. Wax does not usually fluoresce; in fact, in the ultraviolet it tends to appear almost the same color as the polyester casting resin. In visible light wax appears as a somewhat translucent white layer. Paints and glaze layers which contain resins as part of the binding medium will also fluoresce under ultraviolet light at high magnifications. Other materials such as lead white, titanium white and hide glue also have a whitish autofluorescence.
There are other indicators which show that a surface has aged, such as cracks which extend through finish layers, accumulations of dirt between layers, and sometimes diminished fluorescence intensity, especially along the top edge of a surface which has been exposed to light and air for a long period of time.
100 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Sample Locations Phase II Eppington Chesterfield County, Virginia
Samples removed July 6, 2007, October 20, 2007 Note: Front door faces north.
Dining Room. Period III and IV
1. West wall, cushion frieze of mantel, south side, lower edge. 2. West wall, upper row of dentils, below shelf, south side. 3. West wall, outer border of crossetted overmantel panel, lower left corner. 4. West wall, fluted pilaster south of mantel, about 5-feet up, middle flute. 5. West wall, overmantel panel, just north of applied molding, lower left corner. 6. West wall, pilaster west of fireplace, on missing surbase molding area, smooth beige paint surface. 7. South side of chimney breast, outside surface of small closet door, upper right corner of upper right panel, on ovolo molding. 8. South side of chimney breast, inside surface of small closet door, upper left corner of upper left panel. 9. North wall, wainscoting just right of east window, just below cap. 10. North wall, wainscoting, cap, just right of east window. 11. West wall, door to hall, south edge of middle left panel. 12. Plaster fragment, south wall, from above wainscoting, between two windows. 13. Cornice, west wall, above pilaster north of chimneypiece, middle molding of cornice. 14. South wall, east window architrave, backband molding, east side, about 6-feet up. 15. South wall, baseboard plinth below east window (plinth and cap seem to have the same paint history.
Hall
1. South wall plaster, at stair landing, grayish plaster substrate. 2. South wall plaster, east of south wall door, pinkish-brown plaster (patch?) with paints. 3. South wall door architrave, east side, backband molding. 4. South wall door, upper left corner, middle right panel. 5. Stair baluster, fourth up from newel post, south side of top block. 6. North side of stairs, support for handrail, above fourth baluster. 7. Newel post of stairs, east side, below handrail. 8. South wall, baseboard above third step. 9. Stairs, green paint on second tread up from floor, adjacent to baseboard, from the edge along side of former stair runner. 10. North wall, chair board right of door, below surbase, just left of window. 11. North wall, left architrave of window, about 5-feet up from floor. 12. South wall, raised paneling below stair, ovolo molding, above triangular panel. 13. North wall baseboard, 3-feet east of front door. 14. South wall, cornice above stair, frieze, east edge. 101 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
West Passage
1. North wall, window architrave, west side, about 4-feet up. 2. North wall wainscoting, below window, top board, just west of window. 3. South wall, door architrave, west side, about 4-feet up. 4. West wall, door architrave, south side, middle molding, about 4-feet up. 5. South wall door, upper left corner, middle right panel. 6. North wall plaster, west of window, about 5-feet up.
Chamber with Study (check room name)
1. Mantel, north side of upper left panel on frieze above firebox. 2. North wall, chair board west of door, old paint adjacent to new gray paint, top edge. 3. North wall, baseboard west of door, top edge. 4. North wall, door architrave, west side, about 4-feet up. 5. South wall, window architrave, backband below east window, about 5-feet up, east side. 6. West wall, door architrave, south side, backband molding, about 4-feet up. 7. West wall, plaster south of door, about 5-feet up.
Second Floor
West Chamber
1. West wall, paneling surrounding fireplace, left backband molding, about 4-feet up (blue). 2. West wall, fireplace surround, outer quarter round molding (later blacks), about 2-feet up. 3. East wall, baseboard left of door. 4. South wall, west window, east architrave, about 5-feet up, outer backband molding. 5. Southeast corner, in former area of closet, cornice. 6. Southeast corner, cornice, right of closet enclosure. 7. Whitewash below earliest wallpaper on south wall of closet. 8. Interior of door, east wall, upper left corner, middle left panel.
East Chamber
1. East wall, paneling surrounding fireplace (green?), left stile, about 5-feet up. 2. East wall, molding surrounding fireplace opening, left side. 3. South wall, west window, right architrave, about 5-feet up. 4. South wall, southwest corner, plaster at crack about 5 ½-feet up. 5. West wall, cornice, right of south west corner. 6. West wall, door, left edge of middle left panel.
102 Eppington Interior Paint Analysis Phase II – Susan L. Buck, February 19, 2008
Passage and Second-floor Stair Hall
1. Handrail, north side, above fifth baluster from first step. 2. Baluster, upper turning, fifth baluster up from first step. 3. Plaster in passage, east wall, right of corner board. 4. Panel below stair stringer, below sixth step up (green). 5. Corner board on south side of stairs, about 6-feet up at bead. 6. Cornice in passage, east wall at stair opening. 7. Passage, east wall baseboard, just left of door to east chamber.
Trapped Exterior of South Elevation
1. Protected exterior siding of south elevation, left of door. 2. Protected soffit of original modillion cornice. 3. Vertical board left of stair (original board and batten?).
Third Floor
West Chamber (Attic Chamber)
1. Northwest corner baseboard. 2. North wall, corner board on east side of window. 3. East wall door, upper left panel, left side. 4. North wall, northeast corner, plaster at fine horizontal crack, about 4-feet up. 5. Surround of opening in hall ceiling outside of chamber, west side.
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