The Man on the Ceiling: Neoclassical Decorating at Kenmore

As with many things at Historic Kenmore, the reasoning behind the choices Fielding and Betty Lewis made for their masterpiece of a house remain a mystery to us.  Why are Aesop’s Fables the subject of the decorative plaster overmantel in the Dining Room? Why is there an old-fashioned paneled wall in the Chamber? Why did … Continue reading The Man on the Ceiling: Neoclassical Decorating at Kenmore

Photos: Building George’s House – Lime Rick Burn

Recently,  expert artisans Bill Neff and Kenneth Tappan along with staff from The George Washington Foundation built a lime rick -- a large crib of wood and oyster shells -- at George Washington's Ferry Farm.  This past Saturday, the rick was lit on fire to produce lime for stone and brick work as part of constructing … Continue reading Photos: Building George’s House – Lime Rick Burn

Photos: Building George’s House – First Week of Timber Framing

Expert craftsmen from Blue Ridge Timberwrights arrived last Tuesday, September 6 to build the frame of the Washington house.  This collection of photographs documents the first week of their work and begins with pictures of the finished concrete cradle and Aquia sandstone blocks ready to serve as the foundation for the timber frame. Over the past several months, the … Continue reading Photos: Building George’s House – First Week of Timber Framing

Video – Building George’s House: The Concrete Cradle

An interpretive replica of the house that young George Washington lived in with his family is being built at his boyhood home at Ferry Farm near Fredericksburg, Virginia. This replica is being constructed on the exact location of the original. Through the use of a specially-designed concrete cradle, the replica will not harm any of … Continue reading Video – Building George’s House: The Concrete Cradle