During the restoration of the McIlwaine house, historic paint analyst Susan Buck discovered the original coral paint color under 22 layers of paint. (Photo by Matthew Oswald)
For almost 100 years, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has implemented architectural paint analysis as a critical component in conservation and restoration efforts in the former Colonial Virginia capital. When local preservationist Sandy Graham bought the McIlwaine House (c. 1790) in Petersburg in 2009, he also instigated an in-depth paint analysis early in the project.
What does studying house paint teach us? With 2026 marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, Matthew Webster, vice president of operations at CWF, and Graham provide insight about the power of color in late 18th- and early 19th-century Virginia architecture.
Who could afford what pigments? What materials were available at the time? And when and where could they be found? Webster asks questions like these because “color tells a story.” Having a better understanding of the materials informs a more accurate idea of the original hue before two centuries of aging. The advanced technology of CWF’s recent paint analysis has helped the organization fine-tune and correct the colors around Colonial Williamsburg. For example, Prussian blue is photosensitive and degrades to light green or gray, while verdigris oxidizes to black. Most paints also included linseed oil, which yellows over time and can alter the pigment.
Knowing the availability of pigments links social — and sometimes political — status to individuals. However, availability was not necessarily stable. The Townshend Act of 1767 included “painters colors” in the long list of taxable goods on the Colonies, and different wars limited access to various high-end materials. In turn, painters learned to fake expensive colors and mimic costly or even exotic woods and marble, such as the oak-grained doors, mahogany-grained wainscoting and marbleized baseboards of the McIlwaine House.
Post-Revolution, the Federal style of architecture emerged in America. Calder Loth, the retired senior architectural historian with Virginia’s Department of Historic Resources, explains that craftsmen overwhelmingly followed the pattern books being developed in the U.K. Though the architecture does not signify stylistic separation from England, the “American frenzy” was an explosion of color unique to the new country. Webster notes, “Especially in the homes of the gentry, we were ‘color crazy’ where the English tended to be more reserved.”
This trend can be seen in the original coral pink-painted and -glazed Federal-style woodwork in the McIlwaine House, which echoes the pattern books from the U.K. while boldly making use of color. George Jones, owner from 1815-20 who served as Petersburg mayor from 1815-16, likely added the remarkable woodwork. Balls and other parties were held in the Petersburg parlor, which is twice as large as the more muted second parlor and demonstrates how color was instrumental in signifying the use of space and status of the owner.
As conservator and paint analyst Susan Buck writes in her 2009 analysis, “The McIlwaine House must have been one of the most stylishly painted interiors in Petersburg when it was first painted. The elaborate and colorfully painted rooms on the first floor must have been intended to impress, and perhaps overwhelm, visitors to the house.”
