ROCKINGHAM — Renowned architectural restorationist Dr. Susan Buck will offer new clues as to the paint and finish used on and in the Rockingham Meeting House over the centuries, via a Zoom presentation on Wednesday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m.
During the 1798 Town Meeting, monies were raised to paint the new building, but no mention is made as to what color.
“But now we know,” a news release asserts. “Think a deep red with cream trim.”
In early August, Buck spent several days on site collecting paint and wood samples from the building's interior and exterior as well as from the 1816 hearse, funeral bier, and hearse barn, which comprise this National Historic Landmark.
Back at her Williamsburg, Va. laboratory, the samples were examined microscopically and with spectral analysis to determine the colors and chemical compositions of the various finishes used over the past 223 years.
These findings will help the Rockingham Historic Preservation Commission decide on how to go forward in preserving this structure.
“First thing we considered: Do no harm by introducing elements that might degrade rather than conserve the wood,” said Commission Coordinator Walter Wallace.
On staff at Colonial Williamsburg and on the faculty of the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation, Buck applies the science of art restoration to architectural restoration. She is known internationally for her historic preservation detective work at landmarks such as Mount Vernon and Monticello.
She has also worked at United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage sites, such as Beijing's Forbidden City.
Her draft report can be viewed on the Rockingham Historic Preservation Commission web page at rockbf.org.
Buck's paint and finish analysis project was made possible through funding from the Vermont Department for Historic Preservation and the National Park Service.
This lecture is a collaboration between the Rockingham Historic Preservation Commission and the Rockingham Free Public Library. For more information about Rockingham Meeting House conservation programs, email Wallace at clg@rockbf.org.
To receive an invitation to join this presentation, contact the library at programming@rockinghamlibrary.org or 802-463-4270.