Interior Paint Study: John Nelson House, First and Second Stories

Lee, James; Sullivan, Judith

Minute Man National Historical Park protects 970 acres in and around the Massachusetts towns of Lexington, Lincoln, and Concord, commemorating the opening battle in the American Revolutionary War. This interior paint study concerns the John Nelson House. A total of 489 samples from the exterior and interior of the John Nelson House were removed, labeled and stored individually in small envelopes. Samples were removed October 2009 by architectural conservators Judith Sullivan and James Lee. 159 samples were taken of the exterior of the house. 328 samples were taken from the interior of the house, 180 from the first story and 148 from the second story. This interim report addresses findings from only the first-story samples of the John Nelson House. Room numbers, as well as door and window numbers, are consistent with the labeling system introduced in the “Historic Structure Assessment Report.” Floor plans with room, door and window number assignations are included at the end of this report. General dates are assigned to first finishes according to the conjectured dates of each section of the building identified in the “Historic Structure Assessment Report,” However, as explained below in the “Paint Analysis Results,” the paint evidence as observed during this analysis does not always support the dates identified in the 2008 “Historic Structure Assessment Report.” More research is recommended to definitively determine the dates of the additions to the 1808 structure as well as alterations to each of the sections over the history of the building.

Interior Paint Study: John Nelson House, First and Second Stories

Series