So...What Color Was The Duncan House in 1858?

One of the most interesting phases of this long restoration project is occurring right now. We are in the process of determining what the original paint color(s) of the Duncan House were. I'm sure there are several ways of doing this, but we went the scientific route and sent samples to a PhD in Williamsburg, a professional paint analyst. We sent samples of the house body, the trim and the fascia. You will be surprised, like me, to know that the fascia had NINETEEN coats of paint on it and the trim had 17!!!

Above in the photo is a side cut of the trim sample, multiplied 40 X (some photos were 100 X). You can see many of the 17 coats of paint in the photo.

Some of the results are most interesting, even surprising.

The body of the house was a light grey! (surprising)
The trim was an off white (not surprising)
The fascia was a grey-brown! (surprising)

The results returned from the analyst include the exact paint match for the three. I think you will find that the combination, when the painting is completed, will be very striking!

I had just assumed that it....all....houses of the 1850-60s were white. Not so, say the experts, and The Duncan House fits into that thinking.

Remember, the interior of the house is not being restored nor will it be open for viewing. It will be a private residence. But the exterior, hopefully, will look much like it did 160 years ago.

Thanks for your interest in this project.