Pre-Restoration 1986-1992
Research and stabilization of the building were the twin missions of this phase of work.
| Architects, architectural historians, and craftsmen examined the original fabric of the house (bricks and mortar from Jefferson's time) as well as hundreds of Jeffersonian letters and documents relating to the building of Jefferson's house before drawing up plans to authentically restore it. |
 Click here to read one of the Jeffersonian letters studied |
Reaching the original fabric of the house’s interior required the systematic removal of layers of plaster and wood trim installed after Jefferson's time. Paint, plaster, and mortar samples were collected for analysis. The newly uncovered Jeffersonian brick revealed ghost marks -- indications of original architectural details such as holes for nailing blocks at chair rail level -- that greatly added to the picture of what Poplar Forest looked like in Jefferson's time.
Archaeologists contributed to restoration by uncovering artifacts such as shutter fasteners that allowed for the accurate reproduction of hardware for the house. Their excavation of the wing of service rooms on the east side of the house determined the length of the wing. Jefferson had written that the wing was 110 feet long. Yet his slave carpenter, John Hemings, had written that it was 100 feet.
Hemings was correct. The wing is being reconstructed as part of the current restoration phase.
The house needed major structural stabilization before restoration could begin. A new drainage system, waterproof membrane, and cement footings to underpin the house were installed. Once completed, it was time to start the brick and mortar phase of restoration.
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