“Outstanding architecture with antebellum faux finishes are decaying….”
Those of us who work on R&R are provided access to some of S.C.’s most interesting and important structures. From the Montgomery’s early settlement cabin in Fairfield Co., to the finest of
antebellum mansions in Charleston, we have been graciously received. But two houses that continue to haunt our thoughts, are the Mouzon House in Williamsburg Co., and that of an abandoned antebellum beauty near Blackstock, S.C. These two houses offer some of the best examples of antebellum faux finishes of any houses we have witnessed in S.C. or elsewhere; smoked ceilings, grained doors, marbleizing, and faux finishes simulating unknowns . Perhaps the thought that each structure is more than characterized as endangered, heightens our remorse in not being able to do more to preserve them or at least architectural elements of each.
One house we simply stumbled upon in the woods as we were exploring S.C.’s backroads, the other, we were asked to act as consultants on. Unfortunately, we failed in both attempts to persuade owners to fully appreciate their family’s old homes and thus allow the preservation of any part of the architecture and “grained painting” of these two structures. No form of historic stimulation, could move either party toward salvaging sections of antebellum grained interior woodwork. So the best we can offer is to share a few images!
- Mouzon Home – Williamsburg Co, S.C.
- Upper SC Piedmont – Near Blackstock S.C.
- McCandless Painted Furniture
The McCandless grained wardrobe is indeed safe in a museum collection but the other two examples are deteriorating rapidly!
Roots and Recall is often examining faux finishes but most of it is reproduction work, not the original. We have found that the paint colors in many of these “restored sites” are not true to their original vision. Yet, the array of faux finishes witnessed, remains highly interesting, “examples of just how color and texture played a major aspect of early 19th century decorative arts.” All too often these paint restorations look so bright, they are nearly obnoxious. Perhaps this is true to historic form, and R&R is certainly not suggesting we return to Williamsburg’s mid 20th century muted paint chart, but there seems to be little thought of perhaps a middle road to the artists canvas; please not so bright!
Can any of you offer Roots and Recall an opportunity in your community to photograph similar houses with original grained surfaces? If so, we would indeed like to pay you a visit. As always, R&R urges you to refrain from trying to find and access these structures, no trespassing!
R&R Follow-up: This past Friday morning, I was invited to tour Historic Brattonsville as a decorative arts consultant on some of the collection’s extraordinary Southern decorative arts collections. Even though I had curated most of the items and procured them for the collection during my tenure as the director, I had also forgotten after over twenty-five years, just what fine Southern decorative items are now part of the permanent collection. Many have been placed in environmentally secure storage but others remain on display throughout the historic houses. While examining two of the pieces, I realized for the first time, they had identical decorative elements – they most likely came from the same local maker. A fresh set of eyes looking at an old subject can sometimes discover elements that have been overlooked.
And I can’t say enough yet about the warm reception R&R received in Newberry County last week, great historic materials and collections donated for preservation by the public. How wonderful!
From the Porch – Blog @ RootsandRecall.com – 5.11.17