This small fragment of 19th century painted floor cloth was preserved beneath a wood threshold in the Carter House in Franklin, TN. Although fragile and dirty, there was enough information to allow the whole pattern to be replicated in the original colors. See below for larger view.
Completed in 1830, the Federal style brick farm house is one of three historic house museums just south of Nashville operated by the Battle of Franklin Trust as part of the Franklin Battlefield National Historic Landmark historic district. www.boft.org/
This project demonstrates why any removal of later materials in a historic house should be done carefully and with close attention for what might have been covered up when the change was made. Swinging sledgehammers and flying debris may make for good television on HGTV but are likely to result in lost evidence of historic features in the real world. Necessary demo should be deliberate and slow, using no more force than necessary to minimize vibrations that can damage nearby materials that are to remain.
Identifying changes that have occurred to a house over time is covered in Chapter 2 of “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners.” Demolition is covered in Chapter 6 and historic floor cloths in Chapter 14.
Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available from the author in our shop, YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
Our shop also carries select preservation and restoration titles by other authors.
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