Plaster

During the Mansion Revitalization Project, Phase 2 included the complete re-plastering of the walls and ceilings in the Washingtons’ Bedchamber, Mrs. Washington’s closet and store room, the little passage, and the back stairway. Modern plaster and metal lath was carefully removed, documenting each layer and the conditions throughout the process. 

With the walls open, the team was able to examine the original structure in remarkable detail. Dendrochronology confirmed that the framing timbers were felled in the spring and summer of 1774, and most of the 18th-century wooden lath was still intact. With the plaster removed, several important discoveries came to light: Evidence of a small 18th-century fire was found at the juncture of the north wall and ceiling, just above the mantel. Fragments of early plaster and a piece of 19th-century moiré wallpaper were uncovered on the ceiling and preserved in Mount Vernon’s collections. Original shelving configurations in Mrs. Washington’s closet and store room were confirmed through physical evidence. A fully intact 18th century fork was discovered inside a wall cavity in Mrs. Washington’s closet, supporting its historic use as secure storage for silver and valuables.

Wood repairs and new locally riven white oak lath was installed, and a traditional three-coat lime plaster system was reinstated.  After the new plaster cured, the Preservation team restored the room’s finishes using hand-ground linseed oil paint and traditionally installed, hand-block-printed wallpaper and borders. Paint analysis of the woodwork identified several generations of paint from the 1775–1799 period, revealing far more detail about the wall finish history than previous analyses.