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Mike Griffin, bottom, of Griffin Painting of Roper tosses a brush to one of his coworkers while painting the historic Cupola House in Edenton on Aug. 11.
Mike Griffin (bottom) of Griffin Painting, is seen working on restoring the Cupola House’s original paint scheme on Aug. 11.
The Cupola House’s facade is shown during the first phase of a project to restore the structure’s original paint scheme on Aug. 11.
The Cupola House, shown here in 2020, has occupied the same space in Edenton since 1758.
Mike Griffin, bottom, of Griffin Painting of Roper tosses a brush to one of his coworkers while painting the historic Cupola House in Edenton on Aug. 11.
Mike Griffin (bottom) of Griffin Painting, is seen working on restoring the Cupola House’s original paint scheme on Aug. 11.
The Cupola House’s facade is shown during the first phase of a project to restore the structure’s original paint scheme on Aug. 11.
The Cupola House, shown here in 2020, has occupied the same space in Edenton since 1758.
EDENTON — The Cupola House in Edenton is in the process of receiving a historic makeover.
The second-oldest building in the historic town recently got a fresh coat of paint, courtesy of Griffin Painting of Roper.
Back in 2018, Susan Buck, a leading expert in the study of historic paint, performed a formal analysis of the home’s remaining original interior and exterior, including its trim and shutters. Her findings were later compiled in a 78-page report.
Examining about 10 paint samples from the house in a laboratory, including one taken from architectural brackets containing 21 layers of paint, Buck determined that the exterior of the Cupola House was originally a different color than it is today.
According to the Edenton Historical Commission, Buck found that the house was painted a “light cream shade with vibrant green shutters, consistent with the prevailing style of the time period.”
Work on restoring the house, 408 S. Broad St., to its original color commenced last week. Mike Griffin, who owns Griffin Painting, said he was eager to get started and tackle the project with some “TLC.”
“This is a major transformation,” said Vonna O’Neill, president of the Cupola House Association. “The last time it was painted this (cream) color was in 1758.”
O’Neill said she thinks the bright green shutters will be a shock to some people long familiar with the house, but she wants the structure to be as accurate to history as possible.
“We are trying to be true to the history of the Cupola House,” O’Neill said. “We are trying to return it to what it once was.”
The house was last painted around 10 years ago, according to O’Neill. She said that for this new project, the local Sherwin-Williams store in Edenton has worked hand-in-hand with those performing the restoration.
Discussing Buck’s paint analysis, O’Neill said the association was “very blessed” to recruit her for the research and that the Cupola House “was under (Buck’s) microscope.”
In addition to the Cupola House, Buck has worked with groups at Colonial Williamsburg, Mount Vernon, Monticello, Montpelier, Historic Charleston, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, MESDA (Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts) and the Qianlong Garden Conservation Project in The Forbidden City in Beijing. She frequently lectures in both the U.S. and China and teaches a graduate program to students in Beijing.
“The Cupola House is in good company,” O’Neill said.
Edenton Historical Commission Director Robert Leath emphasized that no one in Edenton has ever seen the house with the new color scheme.
“It is exciting to see North Carolina’s premier Colonial-era house return to its original exterior paint colors,” Leath said. “With cream-colored siding and bright green shutters, these were very fashionable colors in 1758, and the very shades that Francis Corbin himself selected.”
According to NCPedia, dendrochronology tests in 1991 “support the belief” that the Coupla House was built in 1758-59 for Francis Corbin, land agent for Lord Granville and prominent colonial official. The property was bought in 1777 by Samuel Dickinson, a prominent Edenton physician.
Leath also explained how the painting of the Cupola House ties into a larger restoration project, which includes a book, authored by Jim Melchor, Tom Newbern and Don Jordan, focusing on Samuel Black, the house’s carver, and Jordan’s work to recreate the original 10 armchairs that furnished the house’s parlor.
Henry Smith, who manages the house and grounds for the Cupola House Association, thanked Griffin Painting and Sherwin-Williams for their assistance in the project.
“Both the colors for the siding as well as the shutters have been adapted and the new paint will give the old house a bright new look,” Smith said.
www.Reflector.com 1150 Sugg Pkwy Greenville, NC 27834 Main Phone: 252-329-9500 Customer Care Phone: 252-329-9505
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