Behind the Scenes at Staatsburgh: Recent Conservation Work

Historic sites like Staatsburgh are always a work in progress. For every piece that is conserved, there are several more waiting for treatment! We are consistently striving to conserve and restore the building and the collections.  The New York State Bureau of Historic Sites at Peebles Island oversees the conservation and restoration work of all state historic sites.  They employ a skilled group of experienced conservators who complete this transformative work!  In addition to the conservators, Staatsburgh is very lucky to be supported by the Friends of Mills at Staatsburgh, the site's non-profit friends group, which has raised funds for many of the projects included in this post.

During the month of August, we celebrated some of the recent conservation work done at Staatsburgh by creating #TransformationTuesday posts for Facebook.  This essay will highlight the transformation of five different items in Staatsburgh's collections.  

Drawing Room Sofa

Due to many environmental conditions especially light exposure, textiles are one of the most fragile materials in a historic house. Some fabrics, like wool, have a longer lifespan, but others, namely silk, do not hold up after a century. Silk becomes faded, shattered and deteriorated to the point of complete loss. This 19th century chesterfield style sofa in Staatsburgh’s drawing room was an obvious example of degraded textiles until it was completely restored in 2018. Reproduction fabrics and trims have returned this sofa and its cushions to its Gilded Age splendor thanks to work completed by professional conservators at the NYS Bureau of Historic Sites at Peebles Island and funds from The Friends of Mills at Staatsburgh to purchase the fabric and trims!

Before: The sofa in 2016 before treatment.

After: The sofa in 2018 after treatment.

Drawing Room Carpet

This Kashan rug, approximately 12 by 20 feet in size, is located on the east side of the drawing room. It has likely been in the drawing room for well over 100 years. It was removed for cleaning and some repairs in 1982, but 35 years later the rug was in need of treatment because of several splits throughout. 

Due to the condition, the rug was rolled up and transported to the textile conservation lab at Peebles Island for treatment. The textile conservator repaired the splits and stabilized the rug with a cotton lining. The rug was gently cleaned and vacuumed and loose bindings around the edges were also stabilized. The rug was reinstalled in 2019 along with a felt rug pad placed underneath the rug to provide more protection to the brittle wool. The rug may be hard to see while touring Staatsburgh due to its location and the sheer amount of furniture in the drawing room, but we know that in our role as stewards of this amazing home, the hard work is not always obvious or flashy.

Before: Splits in the drawing room carpet

After: Fixed! This shows the conserved carpet on the floor of the drawing room before the furniture was re-installed.

Boudoir Clock

This French Rococo style clock has historically graced the fireplace mantle in Mrs. Mills’ boudoir. The clock works are set in an elaborate ormolu case designed with asymmetric scrolls, flowers, figures, and pierced lattice work. The back plate of the clock identifies the clockmaker as Étienne Maxant. Maxant had a business in Paris from 1880-1905 so the clock likely dates from that time.

The clock remained structurally stable, but it required treatment because the entire surface was covered in sooty grime and the silk fabric behind the lattice work had deteriorated. Due to the former coal-burning furnace historically used to heat the mansion, this layer of grime has been a common issue at Staatburgh. After the object conservator at the Bureau of Historic Sites cleaned the ormolu surfaces of the clock, she also replaced the original fabric. The clock returned to the site in 2019 with a shiny new lease on life. The clock is now significantly brighter and the ormolu surfaces gleam! The clock looks even more vibrant in person than in the photo. It must be seen in person and we look forward to welcoming visitors on house tours so you can do just that!

Before: Somewhat dull

After: It gleams!

Boudoir Chenets

In recent decades, the strategy of conservation and restoration projects at Staatsburgh has followed a room by room approach. This approach tackles all aspects of the room including the walls, textiles, objects, and furniture. A couple of the major room renovations have included Mrs. Mills’ Bedroom and her boudoir. After the clock (see above) in the boudoir was conserved and returned to the site, there was just one remaining gilded object that need some work in order to gleam like the rest of the room. Even though this object was partially obscured in the fireplace, it was important to complete the whole project. 

These Louis XVI style chenets in the shape of a flame pot with flame were structurally stable, but the cosmetic appearance was poor due to a century’s accumulation of surface dirt and grime. After the objects conservator from the NYS Bureau of Historic Sites performed treatment on the chenets, they became bright and clean revealing much of their golden surfaces. They are now fit for a queen (of society)! Fireplace accoutrements are often overlooked in a room, but we know the details matter.

Before: Chenets with a century of grime

After: So shiny! You never know what treasures you might find if you look down!

Main Hall Sofa

Although we have a historic photo showing this sofa in the main hall, it was relegated to storage on the second floor for many years due to the deteriorated condition of the fabric. This chesterfield style tufted sofa is covered with cut-and-voided velvet and accented with bullion fringe. After much planning, professional art movers helped to bring the sofa downstairs and out the front door to head to the Bureau of Historic Sites at Peebles Island. The sofa restoration was the last piece of a larger project to reproduce main hall textiles that also included two club chairs and 18 drapery panels.

Staatsburgh's Main Hall circa 1900
Photo: "American Estates and Gardens" by Barr Ferree, 1904

 The springs on the sofa were stabilized before it was reupholstered with a replica velvet. Replica cord and fringe that matched the original completed the process. The sofa returned to the site in 2020, but we have not had visitors since it returned so we look forward to showing off the sofa’s amazing transformation starting on September 2nd!

 

Before: The fabric cover of the sofa had deteriorated.

After: The sofa has a new lease on life.  To see it in the main hall, come and take a tour of the mansion!

What will be conserved next?  Stay tuned to find out!