photo by Hannah Reel

Aaron Marshall of Silsbee, Texas, and son Jacob, 11, walk past the backside of Melrose where it is under construction for restoration. Above, tours of the mansion have continued despite construction work.

Project under way to recreate Melrose exterior

By Jennifer Edwards (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Sunday, December 27, 2009

NATCHEZ — Melrose is going back in time.

The antebellum mansion, part of the Natchez National Historical Park and administered by the National Park Service, is in the beginning stages of a restoration project.

The project, NPS Superintendent Kathleen Jenkins said, will return the existing stucco exterior to it original state. The house originally featured a painted finish where the stucco is now.

Currently the stucco has been scored to resemble stone.

“Murals and paintings of these types were prevalent in Natchez,” Jenkins said. “We want people to understand that this type of painting, finishes were very popular in that time period. Many of the mansions had some amount of faux-finishing in them.”

Before the painting restoration can start, Jenkins said the house has to undergo some repairs. Currently crews are working to repair water damage caused by leaky box gutters.

Box gutters are original to the design of the house and are meant to direct water away from the house. However, the box gutters at Melrose were leaking and caused some moisture damage to the millwork on the house.

“We were investigating some moisture problems we were having at the house,” Jenkins said. “We removed a small amount of the millwork to see how extensive the damage was. It was actually less widespread than we thought.”

Repairs to the gutters and then repairs to the damaged woodwork will be made in February.

Until then, a large tarp is covering the exposed area.

“We can’t get to work on the real restoration until these repairs are made,” Jenkins said.

Once repairs are complete, the NPS will open the project to bids from decorative painters.

The paint restoration project will begin sometime in the summer, once the weather is conducive for painting.

“The paint that must be used in these types of projects is very sensitive,” Jenkins said. “If it is too cold or the humidity isn’t right, then we can’t start the project.”

Once completed the backside of the house, the columns and the portico will all be painted in muted mauve tones.

“It is very subtle, soft colors. Nothing too alarming,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins said historic photographs will be used to replicate the design of the finish and a paint analysis from 10 years ago identified the original colors.

“When the National Park Services obtained the property, we did a variety of reports that were to be used in guiding any restoration projects,” Jenkins said. “With the pictures we have been able to determine the pattern of the veining and that has been a tremendous help.”

While the work is going on Jenkins said she doesn’t anticipate having to close the house, and said tourists will get the chance to see first hand the type of work that goes into property restoration.

“This project really gives us a window into the level of craftsmanship that was being done in these grand homes at the time they were being built,” she said.

And trying to duplicate the work of those craftsmen, Jenkins said can be nerve wracking.

“It is very exciting, but it is also very scary because we have to get it right,” she said. “Melrose is an icon. And not just to Natchez, but an icon nationally and even internationally.”