This fall, workers have been busy giving a fresh coat of paint to the house in Rumney, New Hampshire, where Mary Baker Eddy lived from 1860 to ’62 with her husband Daniel Patterson.
This exterior restoration was two years in the making. The Historic House team arranged for former facilities staff member Gray Carlson to spend some summer days at the house repairing spots of rotting wood in advance of the painting. In September, lead-abatement specialists prepped the barn by stripping off problematic portions of old paint (some of it dating back to the 19th-century) so that the new coat would adhere properly.
A few weeks later, Senior Manager of Historic Houses Rex Nelles was on hand as the painters arrived to apply primer to the house and barn. They followed up with an antique white, a slightly softer, creamier color than the previous white. For the garage doors on the connector between the house and barn, they used a historic dark green.
Now the house is all tucked up and protected against the winter elements. Come spring, it will provide a cheery welcome to visitors!
