Architectural Restoration

Restoration Blog

Jan 6, 2023

The Beauty and Resilience of Old-Growth Wood

As our restoration craftsmen created and installed the entablatures, we were reminded of the specie and quality of using salvaged old-growth poplar, the same material Jefferson used. The heartwood of old-growth poplar was just as prized for exterior elements as was old-growth pine. Jefferson specified that heart poplar should be used for the balusters in […]


Jan 6, 2023

Reconstructing the Entablatures

Between late 2018 and mid-2020 one of the biggest pieces of the restoration took shape. Pieces of the old-growth heart poplar lumber that had been hand-molded into individual parts by the restoration craftsmen were put together to form a Tuscan order entablature. The Tuscan order, the lowest of the classical Roman orders of architecture, now […]


Jan 6, 2023

Annual Refinishing of the Floors

The beginning of a new year can mean only one thing at Poplar Forest.  It’s time for the restoration staff to refinish the floors in the house. Typical of Jefferson, the original floors were not a common floor for Virginia, or even America. In a letter to carpenter John Perry in March 1808 Jefferson writes: […]


Jan 6, 2023

Restoring the Beauty of the Past

In September 2018 another piece of the architectural ensemble appeared in the house. White marble hearthstones replaced the temporary brick hearths that had also temporarily stood in for Jefferson for ten years. In 1819 stonemason John Gorman spent three weeks cutting, polishing and laying the local marble that was being quarried close to Lynchburg. Gorman later […]


Jan 6, 2023

Jefferson the Innovative Builder

By the time he came to design and build Poplar Forest, Thomas Jefferson was an experienced builder. He had started constructing his first house, what we refer to as Monticello 1, when he was 26. Jefferson’s design was not only significant for being a very academic and proper study of ancient, Renaissance and modern architecture, […]


Jan 6, 2023

2018 Ceiling Plaster Restoration

In 1809 the original lime plaster was started in the house to give Jefferson a more finished interior when he started using Poplar Forest. Unfortunately the work was not completed for several years. The discovery of many pieces of original wall plaster show that this lime material had brick dust added to strengthen its composition, […]


Jan 21, 2016

Winter Architectural Exhibit

As part of the Winter Weekend exhibits in the house, the unfinished East Room is an exhibit featuring three principal themes: Jefferson’s skill as an experienced builder; the role of physical evidence; and the authentic measures by which we are restoring the house. These first two themes are listed on a poster board. Visitors can […]


Nov 24, 2015

Necessary Roof

The fire of 1845 destroyed most of the the original Jefferson era woodwork at Poplar Forest, except for the privies which went unscathed. Protecting this original woodwork is the job of the roof, so keeping it tight is imperative. The Corporation installed a chestnut shingled roof in 2001, but has since become too degraded no […]


Sep 25, 2015

New Restoration Glass for the Lunette Window

With the lunette window sash repaired, Brian Foree replaces two panes of glass damaged when the window was removed from the west stair pavilion. Jefferson was no stranger to broken glass. A particularly nasty storm did the damage in summer of 1819, as observed by granddaughter Cornelia Randolph: “We found that the hail storm had […]


Sep 25, 2015

Celebrating 25 Years of Award-winning Restoration

Poplar Forest was pleased to invite the friends, colleagues, admirers, and family members of Travis McDonald, to a celebration on September 16, 2015, on the occasion of his 25th anniversary as Director of Architectural Restoration at Poplar Forest. See pictures below for highlights. His colleagues and friends included members of Poplar Forest’s architectural advisory panel, […]


Sep 21, 2015

Preserving the Windows

Maintenance on museum properties should really be called conservation. That is because it requires specialized skills and particular materials. Some of the exterior restoration woodwork on Poplar Forest is now 20 years old! That means it has weathered like all materials weather. Craftsmen Dave Clauss and Brian Foree have been working to conserve some material […]


Sep 15, 2015

Old coat worn out? Time for a new one!

Mr. Jefferson’s private retreat needs a new coat. A coat of paint, that is…. Sun, rain, wind, and snow have degraded all painted surfaces and they need a fresh coat. Paint is very important aesthetically. It unifies the architectural elements and serves a practical role. Well-applied coats of paint protect the underlying surfaces. Left exposed, wood […]