Image Gallery

Multiple layers of lead paint must be removed to prepare the wood for the new polychrome paint scheme.

A test area on the east elevation is stripped of paint to meet the standard set by preservation consultant Sara Chase (left). This method of paint removal will be applied to the rest of the house. Aksel Solberg of Gary Wolf Architects, Inc., looks on.

Sara Chase examines the test area to be sure no paint residue remains on the surface.

Painters apply this careful method of paint removal to the rest of the east elevation.

Painters begin to work on the front façade on Broad Street. After the chemical stripper is applied to the wood it is covered by plastic to give the chemicals time to work and allow the painters to carefully remove the old paint.

A chemical stripper on the door surround. Chemical strippers require less sanding than heat or infrared methods, minimizing damage to the historic clapboards and trim.

Many of the details surrounding the front entrance have been hidden under multiple layers of paint. The new five-color paint scheme will highlight the decorative ornaments of this attractive Italianate house.

Several small ornaments, like this pendant, have been removed from the house. They will be replicated or repaired by carpenters and reattached before the final coat of paint is applied.

Working on the bay window. The window is located in the front parlor where Mrs. Eddy taught classes and held church services while she lived in this house.

The west elevation boasts decorative window hoods, in contrast to the simple windows on the east elevation. The east elevation originally faced the side of a neighbor’s house, while the west elevation bordered Broad Street Place, a public thoroughfare.

New clapboards will replace the rotten clapboards that were removed from the northwest corner. The new clapboards will be primed front and back before being installed.