Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest

PLASTERING STARTS ON CENTRAL ROOM WALLS
Poplar Forest Newsletter, Spring 2004

This winter, the masons began transforming the walls of the most dramatic space in the house, the 20-foot cube that is the central room in Jefferson's retreat.

Carpenter checks the plumbness of a ground.

Today’s restoration team has encountered many of the same issues as Jefferson’s workers. Both crews, for instance, faced brick walls not perfectly plumb, which affected the installation of grounds – the wooden planks that anchor future features such as chair rails.

On Dec. 10, 1812, Jefferson wrote to carpenter Reuben Perry, “I find that for wanting of plumbing the grounds in the parlour, several of them will be to take down when we go to putting up the architraves and cornices. I pray you to have strict attention paid to this in the rooms still to be done.”

Craftsmen today addressed the issue before the plastering began when carpenters painstakingly measured the grounds and installed shims to make the grounds level when necessary. The masons too had to address the plumbness issue. In some instances, they had to apply several layers of the first coat (the scratch coat) in order to build up the plaster to make it even with the grounds.

Likewise, the acquisition of building material required much care both in Jefferson’s time and today. For several months in late 1812, Jefferson urged his builders to obtain suitable planking to use for the grounds. Two hundred years later, the restoration team searched for antique pine and specially prepared it in order to use the same material as the original grounds.

Jefferson’s workers began plastering the bed alcoves in 1808 and continued with the ceilings from 1809-1810. It was not until August 1812 that his craftsmen began preparing the walls for plastering.

Ever the optimist, Jefferson wrote to a relative in September 1812 that the walls “will be plaistered this fall.” It would take two more years to finish the job.

The restoration masons finished plastering Jefferson's bedroom walls this winter. As the masons plaster the central room, the carpenters have started the grounds for the parlor.