Historic Structures Report: Memorial House and Colonial Kitchen

Yoner JE and Miller HA. 2009. Historic Structures Report: Memorial House and Colonial Kitchen. Historic Structure Report. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Lowell, Massachusetts

The following executive summary will provide a concise account of the work done to produce the Historic Structures Report (HSR) for the Memorial House and the Colonial Kitchen at the George Washington Memorial Birthplace National Monument (GEW A). It will present the research done, major research findings, major issues identified in the task directive, and general recommendations for treatment or use. It was researched and written by Architectural Conservator James Toner who concentrated on the Memorial House, and Architectural Historian Heather Miller, who focused on the Colonial Kitchen. The physical investigation of the buildings was limited to finishes analysis, mortar analysis limited to sand separation, and observation, and recording of current conditions. The extensive documentation found at the GEWA archives gave the authors an opportunity to list specific building materials and techniques that would otherwise be hidden from an investigator. In particular, the documentation of the materials and methods employed for the construction of the Memorial House permitted the writers to state with some accuracy the methods and materials used to stain the finished interior carpentry in the first story of the building. Limited destructive investigation might reveal additional useful information about how accurately the contractor followed architect Edward Donn's 1930 specifications. However, that type of investigation was too invasive for the goals of this report, and was not part of the scope of work.

Type
Published Report
Authors
Yoner, James; Miller, Heather
Date of Issue
2009
Publisher
U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
Units
GEWA , NER
Keywords
Colonial Kitchen, Edward Donn Jr., finishes analysis, George Washington, Memorial House, mortar analysis
Subjects
CRIS-HS: 000439: Colonial Kitchen House , CRIS-HS: 007776: Memorial House

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