303 year old Georgian Colonial carved ornament.
This hand-carved ornament from 1719 is on the stairs of the Brush-Everard House in Colonial Williamsburg.
Few of us will ever find ourselves the steward of an early-eighteenth-century house, but hand-carved ornament continued to be created for the homes of those who could afford it into the early twentieth century.
Early work, like this, was likely painted from the time it was created. Victorian era work was often stained and varnished, leaving the wood grain exposed. Colonial Revival and Neo-classical work might have had either type of finish originally.
Conservator Susan Buck has done historic paint analysis using cross-section microscopy in the Brush-Everard House to identify historic colors used in the house, which have been carefully restored, including on this staircase.
Several options for replacing damaged or missing carved ornament are explored in Chapter 17 of “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners.”
The 720 page award-winning and best-selling hardcover book is now available in bookstores and from online retailers.
Signed and personalized copies are available directly from the author in our shop, https://yourhistorichouse.com/shop/.
Bookstores can order copies from W.W. Norton.
Check out the 2022 Your Historic House Calendar, featuring 13 of our favorite houses. Available directly from Lulu through our shop.
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