Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

EXTERIOR DETAILS: BRICKWORK

HOUSE VIEWED FROM SOUTH AFTER REMOVAL OF LATE PORCH AND WINGS.

GENERAL

Brick (and terra cotta block) are found in the Tayloe House in the following locations (both exterior and interior brickwork will be considered here):

• 1)Foundations, both of the house and of the porches and bulkhead
• 2)Chimneys, fireplaces and hearths
• 3)Drips in ground adjacent to house to receive roof water
• 4)Sidewalks serving the house and outbuildings
• 5)Terra cotta tile(in basement partition only)

The brick, old and new, varies in character in accordance with the use to which it is put, so that it will be necessary to discuss the different types individually. We will follow the order established above.

FOUNDATIONS: PATCHING WITH NEW BRICK

The house foundations are in large part old and original. Some patching of the old walls was necessary, mainly directly 63 beneath the house sill and around the basement grilles. The brick used in this work was made by Colonial Williamsburg in the eighteenth century manner in its own kiln at the edge of town. This new brick is of the approximate size and color of the original brick.

BRICK BOND AND SIZE; MORTAR AND MORTAR JOINT

The foundation walls are laid up in Flemish bond throughout. The brick size varies as is customary in old brickwork but is approximately as follows: length, 8 ¼" to 8 5/8"; width, 4 1/8" to 4 ½" and height, 2 3/8" to 2 ½". The brick is laid up in mortar made to match in color and texture the original oyster shell mortar in the walls. The joints are approximately ½" thick and are tooled.

BRICK COLOR; EVIDENCE OF GLAZING

When the surface of the brick is scraped the color beneath is found to be the salmon pink typical of eighteenth century brickwork in Williamsburg. The south and side walls, however, were at one time painted a deep red and large areas of this pigment remain to obscure the true color of the brick of these walls. Weathering has, furthermore, darkened the surface color where the brick is not painted--on the north wall, particularly, where the surface tone is much deeper than the essential, internal brick color. The foundation wall surface least affected by time or treatment is the north portion of the west wall which, for many years, was covered and protected by the west addition. Here the color, more than elsewhere, recalls what must have been the old surface tone of the brick and remains of glazing are also clearly visible on header brick.

OLD BRICK FOUNDATIONS DISCOVERED UNDER STONE FLOOR OF LATE SOUTH PORCH, WITH OLD BRICK STEPS AND PAVING.

FOUNDATIONS OF SOUTH (FRONT) PORCH

Old brickwork found in place when the stone floor of the nineteenth century south porch was removed gave the size of the original porch platform and the position of the steps was indicated by their still existing old foundations. In the reconstruction of the platform and steps the foundations supporting these were rebuilt in the old locations using old brick salvaged from the original porch foundations. This brick was laid in Flemish bond and set in cement mortar made to resemble the old mortar by the addition of ground oyster shells and sand selected for color, the joints being aligned with the joints of the house foundation wall.

FOUNDATIONS OF NORTH PORCH-KITCHEN

The north porch, when its restoration was begun, was supported by brick piers which, since they were not original, were removed. Archaeological investigation brought to light the original foundations so that the exact location and size of the porch were known. The foundation size corresponded exactly with the dimensions of the existing portions of the old wood porch so that the porch-kitchen 65 was rebuilt over the position of these foundations, the old brick walls being replaced by new brick made by hand to resemble in size, texture and color the old brick of the house foundation wall. The new brick was laid in Flemish bond and set in the simulated oyster shell mortar mentioned above the courses being aligned with those of the house foundation. An access opening large enough to permit a man to crawl into the space beneath the kitchen to inspect or repair the wood framing of the floor was placed in the west wall of the foundation. This opening is spanned by a segmental brick arch and closed off by a board and batten door set in an unmolded wood frame. Screened ventilation openings were also left in the three sides of the porch-kitchen foundation.

BULKHEAD FOUNDATIONS

The position of the bulkhead was established, after the east addition was removed, by the discovery of the brick foundations of an old bulkhead and the remains of brick steps leading to the basement. The existing outside basement steps adjacent to the north wall were, therefore, eliminated and the door opening in the foundation wall was closed up with new brick. A new upright bulkhead was built in its stead on the lines of the old foundations adjoining the east wall. The steps and the part of the foundation below the ground surface were for practical reasons, reconstructed of concrete, only the small part of the wall appearing above ground being laid in brick. This portion of the foundation wall is two brick courses high.

CHIMNEY & FIREPLACE BRICKWORK

The single square-sectioned chimney stack, built, below the level of the roof ridge, inside the west wall of the house, serves a pair of corner fireplaces on each of the two main floors. The bulk of the brickwork composing the stack within the house is 66 original and this includes the two rather striking arched piers in the basement.

PHOTOGRAPH OF ARCHED PIERS OF CHIMNEY STACK IN BASEMENT. ALTHOUGH RESEMBLING FIREPLACES, THESE HAVE NO FLUES AND CANNOT, THEREFORE, FUNCTION AS FIREPLACES.

FLUE LININGS; NEW BRICKWORK OF FIREPLACES

Flue linings were installed, however, to render the chimney more fire safe. These were in some places inserted in existing flues but also, throughout much of their length, carried through new channels brick lining these new flues, therefore, had to be relaid. In addition to this the condition of the existing brick facing the back and sides of the fireplaces and of that surrounding the fireplace openings made necessary the renewal of this brickwork. Wherever such fireplace surfaces are exposed or, as in the case of the surrounds of the fireplace openings, plastered over, new handmade face brick was employed. Dampers were, by the way, installed in all four fireplaces where none had existed before.

REBUILDING OF UPPER PART OF CHIMNEY

The portion of the chimney stack-above the second floor ceiling--the part, that is, running through the attic and appearing above the roof, was taken down and rebuilt. In the reconstruction of the part of the shaft above the roof, chimney details visible in the enlargement of an old photograph (ill., p. 1) were followed. This rebuilding was necessary for the sake of authenticity since the upper part of the shaft with its cap had been altered from its eighteenth century condition.

BRICK USED IN THIS NEW PORTION OF STACK

The brick used in the rebuilding of the shaft above the roof line is no handmade brick which resembles very closely the quality an appearance of the old brick. The corner brick and the sloping brick of the wash of the chimney cap are of rubbed brick. The headers on the vertical center lines of the four sides are glazed as are occasional additional headers on the chimney faces.

CHIMNEY CAP

The chimney cap is of the stepped variety found so frequently in the architecture of Tidewater Virginia. In this case two corbelled courses support a projecting double course surmounted by the sloping brick wash mentioned above. Above this is a single course lining up with the main shaft below. A cement wash protects this top course from the penetration of rain water. This chimney cap design is based upon that of the cap visible in the old photograph on p. 1.

BRICKWORK OF HEARTHS RENEWED; METHOD OF LAYING

The four hearths and their structural supports were completely rebuilt. In all cases, in this reconstruction work, the dimensions and positions of the old hearths were retained. The new hearths were made of new handmade brick of the size of the brick found in the old hearths (approximately the size of the house foundation brick). The brick were set in a bed of soft mortar and the joints 68 filled with a mixture of dry sand and cement. Following this, since these handmade brick have uneven surfaces, the hearth was rubbed smooth with harder brick. This manner of laying the brick departs from the colonial method only in that no mortar and cement were used in the latter. These were added to hold the brick firmly in place.

The pattern followed in the laying of the brick was that found in the old brick hearths. The two hearths on the first floor are enframed on their three outside edges by narrow wood strips, a feature omitted in the second floor hearths, where the flooring runs up to the hearth brickwork.

REBUILDING OF HEARTH SUPPORTS

The weight of the brickwork of the old hearths was supported by cantilevered brick half arches known as trimmer arches. These were considered insecure and were replaced by a modern equivalent, viz., 4" thick reinforced concrete slabs projecting beyond the face of the chimney the same distance as the hearth, to sustain the otherwise unsupported area of hearth brickwork. It is on this slab that the mortar bedding of the hearth brick rests.

BRICK DRIPS

Brick drips have been placed level with the surface of the ground about a foot away from the north and south walls of the house, except, of course, where the porches prevent this. Remains of old drips were found in the course of the archaeological investigation of the house site and these gave the authority for the reinstallation of this feature. The purpose of the drips is to break the force of the rain water falling from the roof and thus prevent it from pitting the ground adjacent to the house. They were unnecessary at the sides since most of the water is carried down the slopes of the roof. It may be well to note here 69 that similar drips have been laid adjacent to all of the outbuildings, with the exception of the privies. Brick drips represent a simplified alternative to the brick ground gutters which were also frequently used in the eighteenth century. They consist of new machine made brick known as Virginia pavers, 8 ¼" long, 3 ¾" wide and 2 5/8" thick, placed long side by long side to form a continuous band one brick wide. These pavers were used as an economic substitute for handmade brick.

BRICK WALKS AND OTHER PAVED AREAS

Brick sidewalks have been used extensively in the area adjacent to the Tayloe House and its outbuildings as a means of approach to the individual buildings and as communicating ways between the buildings (see plot plan, p. 141). In the service area, comprising the Kitchen, Laundry and Smokehouse with the ground surrounding them, these walks have been expanded into paved outdoor working spaces where, in another day, many of the tasks assigned to the outbuildings, might well have been performed in part in the open air. A good original example of such a paved working area is the one which, in an excellent state of preservation, was found between the back of the Brush-Everard House and the kitchen and shop just east of it.

METHOD OF LAYING BRICK PAVING

These sidewalks and paved areas are made of the same Virginia pavers used for the drips. Their color, which varies, of course, could be described as ranging from a medium red to a dark red. They are laid in running bond, in this instance, with the joints of adjacent courses staggered and, in general, with the long sides of the brick parallel to the length of a walk or paved area. To 70 facilitate drainage the walks are laid with a slight elevation along the center line and sloping off toward the sides, and the other paved areas are also inclined in one direction or another to aid in the disposal of rain water. A few miscellaneous fragments of stone, mostly limestone, have in the court areas, been dropped in amidst the brickwork, a practice followed in colonial times.

OLD MARL WALK AND ITS GRAVEL SUBSTITUTE

A rectangular marl walk enclosing what may have been a planted area was discovered directly south of the house in the course of the archaeological investigation of the site (see archaeological plan, p. 42). On the basis of this certain of the walks before the house (see plot plan, p. 141) were executed in a material, stabilized gravel, which is intended to suggest marl. Stabilized gravel is gravel as it comes from the pit or bank and it contains enough clay or other cementing ingredient to cause the tamped gravel particles in time to adhere to each other sufficiently to create a hard and immobile surface. This material 71 was substituted here for marl because it is less expensive and requires less maintenance than the latter.

REASON WHY OLD WALK PATTERN WAS NOT RESTORED

The question arises as to why the hollow rectangular walk was not restored in the form in which, as is evident from the archaeological plan, it at one time existed. The reason for this was that the entire walk lay outside of what has been determined to have been the south colonial property line and represented an encroachment upon city land. Such encroachments became frequent toward the latter part of the eighteenth century and, apparently, were tolerated by the city. Since, however, it is a policy of Colonial Williamsburg, Incorporated to re-establish the colonial lot lines and, as far as is practicable, to retain all restoration work within them, it was thought feasible in this instance, not to attempt the restoration of this rather unusual arrangement of walks.

TERRA COTTA TILE WALL

A new 4" thick terra cotta tile partition has been erected in the basement, dividing the area west of the stair hall into two nearly equal spaces. This runs from the projecting chimney pier eastward to the west wall of the stair hall. It separates the north space containing the heating equipment from the south space which is intended to be used as a maid's room. Since this is a purely modern addition with no eighteenth century basis it will not be discussed in further detail here.

EXTERIOR DETAILS: ST0NEWORK TO PORCHES

STONEWORK CONFINED

Stone is employed at two points only in the exterior house design--on the front and rear porches. This is in part old stone found in place and in part now stone selected to match the old.

SOUTH PORCH PLATFORM COMPOSED PARTLY OF OLD STONE

The front (south) porch as we have remarked, p. 64, has a brick foundation, laid up out of old brick salvaged from foundations which, at the time the restoration of the house began, served as the support for a nineteenth century porch. The platform of this porch was set together partly of stone more recently quarried and partly of flagging which, it was believed, had at some time been brought from the Capitol, because it is similar to the Portland stone which was used there for paving. This Portland stone was imported from England in colonial times for use in several Williamsburg buildings. When the late porch was demolished the old stones were salvaged and nine pieces were incorporated in the platform of the restored porch, forming its center portion. These stones are laid on a bed of white cement mortar which, in turn, rests on a 4" slab of reinforced concrete.

BORDER AND STEPS OF INDIANA LIMESTONE

The platform is completed by a border on the sides and front composed of blocks, 7" high and 14" deep of Indiana limestone, which is similar in texture and color to the old stone. Four new solid steps, also of Indiana limestone, lead from the porch platform to the ground. These are likewise bedded in white cement mortar and the joints of all the stonework of the porch and steps are filled with the same material.

THESE HAVE NOSINGS BASED UPON PRECEDENT

The outside edges of the steps and of the peripheral stones of the platform have ornamental nosings carved from the blocks. 73 These consist of a half round above a fillet and a cove. Nosings with profiles similar to this have been found on old steps of other Williamsburg buildings, a good original example being that with which the two stone stoops at the south entrances of the John Blair House are provided.

NORTH PORCH HAS SINGLE UNMOLDED STONE TREAD
EXISTING FRAGMENT WAS BASIS FOR THIS

The stonework of the rear (north) porch is confined to the unmolded tread of a single step at the base of a flight of wooden steps leading from the porch-kitchen to the ground. Stone was used for this bottom tread because a length of old stone was found in this position in the existing porch. The old stone, when trued up, was 3'-4 ½" in length so that, since the flight of steps, as indicated by the old brick foundations, was 5'-4 ½" wide, a two foot length of stone had to be added to it to complete the tread. This was selected from the stock pile of stone at the Colonial Williamsburg warehouse to match the piece found on the site. This stone tread is set on a bed of white mortar which rests on a brick base and since the tread is about brick height it lines up with the adjoining brick course of the porch-kitchen foundation.

EXTERIOR DETAILS: WALLS & WALL COVERING

The condition in which the old framework of the exterior walls was found and the steps taken to strengthen it have been discussed on pp. 60 and 61. It should be added here that old framing members or parts of them were replaced by new only when the condition of the old timbers made this imperative. The objective was to preserve intact as much as possible of the old work.

MUCH OF OLD WEATHERBOARDING REPLACED BY NEW
SOUTH FRONT FACED WITH OLD MATERIAL

The major part of the existing weatherboarding on the house was in so bad a state of repair that it had to be replaced by new material. Where the two nineteenth century wings had abutted the house the siding was for the most part completely absent, a few fragments only still remaining in place on the west wall where the west (kitchen) wing had adjoined the building. The weatherboarding was removed from the entire building and the still usable pieces were salvaged and placed on the front face so that the siding here is old throughout. The walls of the other facades were covered with Northern white pine, cut to match the old weatherboarding.

NATURE OF BOARDS AND MANNER OF APPLICATION
INSULATION OF WALLS

The weatherboards, old and new, have an exposure of from about 5 ¼" to 6 ¼". They terminate at the bottom in the ½" bead which was so common a feature of colonial weatherboarding in Williamsburg. They have been secured to the studding with modern galvanized cut nails, the heads of which have been hand hammered to make them resemble old handmade nails. For insulation purposes aluminum foil has been nailed to the inside faces of the studs and rigid insulation board (Celotex) has been inserted between them. This insulation material, of course, did not exist in the eighteenth century.

EXTERIOR DETAILS: ROOF & ROOF COVERING

OLD FRAMING AT ROOF PEAK, SHOWING RAFTERS, ROOFERS AND HORIZONTAL TIES. THE RAFTERS ARE JOINED BY MORTISE AND TENON JOINTS WHILE THE TIES MEET THE RAFTERS IN HALF LAPPED JOINTS. TIES AND ROOFERS ARE SECURED WITH IRON NAILS

STRUCTURE GENERALLY SOUND BUT SOME NEW MEMBERS WERE ADDED
NEW RAFTERS

The roof shape has already been discussed at some length (p. 52 et seq.). The roof structure was in a good state of preservation so that relatively little replacement of framing members was necessary because of deterioration (see photographs, next page). Although we usually think of old houses as being more sturdily framed, in general, than our own today, this was not the case with the roof structure of the Tayloe House. The roof rafters, for example, were lighter than we would make them or, at any rate, since they were nearly square in section (about 4 ¾" x 4 ½") they were not as strong as the 2" x 6" members which we would use in a like situation, but they were, nevertheless, sturdy enough to support wood shingles. With the substitution for the latter of asbestos cement shingles, it was deemed advisable to strengthen these members by placing new supplementary rafters beside them. New plates were also laid on top of the second floor ceiling joists to receive the upper roof rafters.

VIEW IN ATTIC LOOKING EAST, AND SHOWING OLD ROOF FRAMING, STUDS AND HAND SPLIT BOARDS ON END WALL

VIEW OF SOUTH BEDROOM AFTER REMOVAL OF PLASTER, SHOWING OLD FRAMING AS WELL AS RECESSED SHUTTER AND SEAT OF DORMER WINDOW. THE CHAIR RAIL AND PICTURE MOLD ARE ALSO STILL IN PLACE.

NEW TIES, BRACES AND BRIDGING

A number of now horizontal ties were likewise used to reinforce the existing ones where these were too light. In addition to this the upper roof structure was further strengthened by the use of new 2" x 4" diagonal knee braces which did not exist previously, and new bridging was inserted between the joists of the second floor ceiling.

NEW STUDS

As can be observed in our photograph of the existing structure at the second floor level, the studs (vertical wall framing members) varied greatly in size, some of them being surprisingly light. Reinforcing was evidently necessary in this quarter also this was accomplished by placing new 2" x 4" studs beside a number of the old ones.

CONDITION OF ROOFERS; LAYING OF SHINGLES
FLASHING

As is also evident from the photographs, the roofers, or boards which, resting on the rafters, receive the shingles, were in very good condition considering their apparent age. They were repaired where necessary and left in place. It was assumed, from a few old shingles found on the job, that the roof had originally been covered with round-butted wood shingles. Because of this, round-butted shingles were returned to the roof. But, as is customary with all but the smallest buildings in Williamsburg, the new shingles are not of wood but, rather of a fireproof material--this case, as in most others here, asbestos cement. They were laid on 30 lb. felt 5 ½" to 6" to the weather, with a minimum head lap of 3", and secured in place by nailing to the roofers. The dormer roofs were covered in the same manner with round-butted asbestos shingles. Copper flashing was used about the chimney and at other danger points where it is commonly used 78 today, although there is no evidence that metal flashing was used in colonial times to prevent roof leakage. The flashing is concealed, however, and does not affect the appearance of the building.

INSULATION OF SECOND FLOOR

The rooms of the second floor were insulated against external temperature changes by placing rigid insulation board between the rafters of the lower roof slope and between the joists of the second floor ceiling.

LIGHTNING ROD

Before concluding our treatment of the roof we should not omit mention of an old feature which was somewhat unusual for the eighteenth century and which suggests technical developments of a later date--the lightning rod which was in position when the house was taken over for restoration. Rising to a height of about 5 feet above the chimney top this runs down the west side of the chimney and the face of the house below and is grounded a foot or so below the surface. The character of the rod indicates that it is old. It is of hand hammered iron having, at the base of the chimney, a thickness of about ¾". It tapers toward the tip to about half this thickness.

EXTERIOR DETAILS: WALL AND ROOF TRIM

TRIM IS BASICALLY FUNCTIONAL, BUT IT ALSO SERVES TO ORNAMENT A BUILDING

Our discussion of the details of the trim, perhaps, should be prefaced by the statement that the underlying purpose of the trim is to cover the junction line of two surfaces meeting at different angles, such as the upper and lower planes of the gambrel roof; the lower slope of the roof and the wall beneath; two walls meeting at right angles, etc., and, thus, to effect a smooth transition from one to the other. As is so frequently the case with architectural elements which in their origin are purely functional, these trim members are generally given ornamental shapes so that they serve in addition to embellish the building.

MODILLION CORNICE IS MOST ELABORATE TRIM MEMBER ON HOUSE

The most richly ornamented trim member on the exterior of the Tayloe House is the main cornice a horizontal band occurring both front and rear at the eaves line, the point, that is, where the lower edge of the roof projects beyond the face of the wall. In keeping with the relatively sumptuous character of the house the cornice is of that more complex variety which includes, along with the usual top and bottom moldings (the crown and bed molds, respectively) and fascias (flat vertical surfaces) a band of rectangular blocks known an modillions. Each block in about 6" long, 3" wide and 3" high, exclusive of the 5/8" cyma reversa or ogee (a reverse curve) which ornaments the top of it and their spacing from center to center is about 9 7/8". The blocks are fastened to the overhanging soffit board by nailing from above.

ITS SIZE MAKES IT A PROMINENT FEATURE

That this cornice is a feature of some considerable prominence is evident from the fact that its overhang, measured from SECTION THROUGH CORNICE OF TAYLOE HOUSE 81 the surface of the lowest fascia. whose beaded end overlaps the top weatherboard, to the line of the outer end of the crown mold, which touches the underside of the lowest roof shingle is about 15" and its vertical dimension about the same.

ROOF "KICK" UNUSUAL

Attention should be called to a rather unusual feature which, though part of the roof treatment, is so intimately associated with the cornice that it will be discussed here. The roof edge at both ends of both the north and south fronts of the building curves both outward and upward forming what is known as a "kick." Kicks, or changes in the roof slope near the saves line are not unusual in Virginia architecture, a good example being the pronounced one on the roof of the east dependency at Shirley in Charles City County. These kicks in most cases, however, run the length of the roof, whereas, in this instance they start at the ends of the building, run a short distance only toward the middle and then gradually merge once more with the flat incline of the roof. No very plausible explanation of this treatment of the roof ends has thus far been advanced.

CORNICE REPAIRED BUT LARGELY OLD

Both the north and south cornices of the Tayloe House were found more or lose intact at the beginning of the restoration of the building. It was necessary to repair or replace certain parts of them but they still remain largely old.

TREATMENT OF CORNICE AT CORNERS WAS PROBLEM IN GABLE ENDED HOUSE; VARIOUS SOLUTIONS

In the case of every gable ended house like the Tayloe House, the problem arises of how to treat the cornice at the ends of the house. This problem does not exist in the hip roofed house since this roof type slopes toward all four sides and the cornice is 82 carried uniformly along the eaves of all of them. In certain instances in the Virginia gable ended building, the cornice is continued across the gable ends, forming a pediment. This is the case with Archibald Blair's Storehouse (the printing shop at present) in Williamsburg and with the above-mentioned east dependency and the stables at Shirley. This is a relatively late eighteenth century treatment, however, which suggests classical influence. In other cases the cornice is returned around the ends of the building but stops short after running a couple of feet. The Henley House in Princess Anne County is one of many Virginia houses in which this detail can be observed.

STOPPING CORNICE MOST USUAL PRACTICE; THREE WAYS THIS WAS DONE

In by far the greater number of colonial gable ended houses in Williamsburg and Virginia generally, however, the cornice is stopped when it reaches the ends of the building. There are two or three methods of accomplishing this all of them illustrated in Williamsburg buildings. Sometimes one or more cornice moldings return on themselves, that is, they stop against a fascia board before reaching the ends of the building. The bed molding of the front cornice of the Brush-Everard House does this. In certain other cases such as Captain Orr's Dwelling and the Archibald Blair House, weatherboards of the building ends are continued out to receive the cornice, the ends of the weatherboards being out to follow the profile of the latter.

CORNICE END BOARD WAS DEVICE MOST OFTEN USED
THIS TOOK VARIOUS FORMS IN COLONIAL BUILDINGS

The commonest method of all of terminating the cornice, however, is by the use of a feature known as the cornice end board, 83 a flat piece of woods, cut partially or wholly to conform to the profile of the cornice, which projects out from the end of the building. This is the device used in the Tayloe House where the upper part of the end board follows the cornice profile but where the lower part swings free in an elliptical arc (see cornice detail, p. 80) which extends to the corner board of the building which it overlaps. From this point it runs vertically upward until it meets the diagonal lower leg of what is known as the "rake-" or "barge board," with which, except for a joint between them, it is continuous. A great deal of variety is revealed from building to building in the architecture of colonial Virginia in the form given to the cornice end boards. These, again, served both a practical and an ornamental purpose and in the case of this detail the eighteenth century builder apparently felt himself free to follow his fancy.

RAKE BOARD AND ITS FUNCTION

The rake board is a trim member placed at the junction of the side faces of the building with the roof to cover up the ends of the weatherboarding, in the case of a wood house, and to render more smooth the transition from the weatherboards to the slightly overhanging shingles. Since our roof in this case in a two sloped one the rake, following its contour, in jointed about midway up the end of the building. The rake consists of a flat board about 4" wide with a half inch bead at the bottom which overlaps the weatherboarding. It is ornamented with a ogee molding at the top.

RAKE AND END BOARD CONTINUOUS

In actuality the rake and the cornice end board form a single continuous member, starting at the roof peak and following 84 the two slopes of the gambrel down to the cornice level where it expands into the decorative element which masks the end of the cornice.

PARTS OF THIS MEMBER IN TAYLOE HOUSE ARE OLD AND OTHERS NEW

Parts of this combined trim member, the rake-cornice-end-board, are old pieces found in place on the Tayloe House and parts are new, copied after the old. Thus, the two cornice end boards at the southeast and southwest corners are old while their counterparts on the two north corners are new. In like manner, certain legs of the rakes are new and others are old, if not the original boards.

JUNCTION OF WEATHERBOARDS AT CORNERS REQUIRED MEMBER KNOWN AS CORNER BOARD

Effecting a transition at the corners of a building between weatherboards running at right angles to each other, since they were never mitred in the eighteenth century as they are today, required a special vertical member, the corner board. This was a rectangular piece of wood against which the weatherboards abutted, the long side, generally, paralleling the length of the building. The free end of this board was almost always beaded.

THIS OFTEN COMPOSED OF TWO PIECES FORMNG CORNER "POST," WHICH WAS THE CASE IN TAYLOE HOUSE

Frequently this corner member was made up of two such pieces the ends of which met at right angles, so that it had the appearance of a solid corner post. Such is the case with this feature on the Tayloe House. The meeting ends of the L-shaped member were sometimes joined in a mitre covered by a bead out in the outer edge of one of the pieces and also in other ways. In this instance a portion of the side opposite the free end of the beaded piece is rabbeted out to receive the end of the other board which is a simple rectangular piece of wood about 4" wide. The flat face of the beaded piece is the same approximate width but the 85 piece is actually about ½" longer than the other because it carries the bead which is ½" in diameter. The boards are 1 ¼" thick.

CORNER "POSTS" OLD AT SOUTH, NEW AT NORTH ENDS OF HOUSE

These corner "posts" are old on the two south corners of the Tayloe House whereas on the north they are new copies of the old ones. This is due, as in the case of other building elements which have been renewed, to the fact that the north ends of the east and west facades of the building suffered alteration more than the south, since the nineteenth century wings were attached to the former.

UPPER CORNICE RUNS ALONG MEETING LINE OF ROOF SLOPES

Another junction line between two planes meeting at different angles, which requires the aid of trim to effect the transition, is that between the lower edge of the upper roof slope and the upper edge of the lower. This is quite simply treated by the use of what is termed the upper cornice which consists here of a molding similar in character to the crown mold of the main cornice below, though it is somewhat smaller in size. This, a typical molding found in eighteenth century Williamsburg, is made up of a cyma recta curve over a cyma reversa, with a fillet between them.

THIS MOLDING CONTINUOUS WITH DORMER CROWN MOLD

The upper cornice is on the same level as and is continuous with the molding which runs between the roof edges and the vertical sides of the dormers and in the case of the south dormers of the Tayloe House continues across their fronts to define the pediments above the windows. Thus, on the south front, beginning at one end of the building, the upper cornice runs along the meeting line of the two roof slopes until it strikes a dormer side, "encircles" the dormer and continues along the junction of 86 the roof slopes to the next dormer, and in this manner proceeds the length of the building. On the north side it does likewise, except that it is interrupted at the front faces of the dormers. The upper cornice is stopped at each end of the house by a simple end board out to match the molding profile. The end board is on the same plane as the face of the rake board.

UPPER CORNICE MOSTLY OLD BUT REPAIRS WERE NEEDED

Parts of the upper cornices on both the front and rear of the house being in a position where they would in the course of time inevitably suffer from the effects of moisture, were found to be in poor condition when the restoration of the building began, so that the cornices had to be patched with new pieces. It was not difficult, however, to reproduce the exact profile, since so much of the old molding remained intact on the roof and the faces of the dormers.

EXTERIOR: WINDOWS, SHUTTERS & GRILLES

ROLE OF WINDOWS IN DESIGN OF FACADES

The part played by the window openings in the design of the facades has been discussed on pp. 55, 56 and 58 and the elevation drawings, pp. 54 and 57 should be examined in this connection. It is the character of the windows and their detailing which is the present subject.

OLD WINDOWS OF HOUSE WERE OF DOUBLE HUNG VARIETY; THEIR METHOD OF OPERATION

All of the windows of the house (with the exception of the three six light wood casements in the north and east sides of the porch-kitchen and six wood basement windows) are of the double hung type, that is, they are equipped with vertically sliding sash, the operation of which is facilitated by the fact that their weight (in most cases) is counterbalanced by lead weights or balances hung over pulleys and moving up and down in concealed chases cut in the window casings, or by modern spring balances. As was customary with double hung windows in eighteenth century Virginia, only the lower sash of these windows were originally movable, the upper ones being fixed. With the exception of the dormer windows, in the case of which, to provide better ventilation in the second story, both sash have been made to operate, the upper sash of the windows still remain fixed.

FIRST FLOOR WINDOWS HAD SASH WEIGHTS
OTHER SASH NOT BALANCED
WOODEN LUGS WERE USED TOHOLD UP WINDOWS

The movable sash of all of the first floor windows are balanced, as they were in the eighteenth century, by suspended lead weights, while those of the dormers and the two second floor windows of the west side are hung on modern clock spring balances. These windows originally had no sash weights and the installation of spring balances entailed much less cutting of the old woodwork 88 than that of weights would have. The four third floor windows of the sides were also never counterbalanced and they remain this way today. These are provided with notched wooden lugs to hold them in place when they are opened. This is, in fact, true of the other windows also, although counterbalanced windows do not require the lugs, but the windows were found to be equipped with them. The latter circumstance suggests that, in the case of the first floor windows which were, evidently, equipped originally with weights, the balancing system had failed at some time or other, probably because the sash cords had broken and, because of the difficulty of getting at the weights to repair them, the simple device of the lug had been installed.

WINDOWS ARE OF THREEE TYPES, ON BASIS OF NUMBER OF GLASS PANES

Considering the double hung windows of the house from the standpoint of the number of lights or panes of glass which compose them, there are three window types on the house--18 light windows on the first floor; 15 light windows on the second (dormer windows and windows of the west end) and 8 light windows on the third or attic floor. The number of lights in the three types determines the relative sizes of the windows since the panes are roughly of the same size--about 10 ½" x 11".

ARRANGMENT OF LIGHTS IN THESE TYPES

The windows are all three lights wide except those of the attic which are two lights wide. The first floor windows are six lights high, those of the second floor five and the attic windows four. In the latter windows and those of the first floor there are an equal number of lights in the upper and lower sash, while the windows of the second floor have nine panes in the lower sash and six in the upper.

MUCH OLD GLASS STILL REMAINED IN PLACE; SOME BROUGHT FROM OTHER BUILDINGS

Many of the old lights now in the windows were still in place when the restoration work began. These had the characteristic unevenness of eighteenth and early nineteenth century glass and were easily distinguishable from the later glass. The modern glass panes were removed and old glass, salvaged from other colonial buildings, put in their place, so that all of the glass in the windows above the basement level is old, though not all of it belonged originally to the house.

CONSTRUCTION OF SASH FRAME; DESCRIPTION OF MUNTINS

The sash lights are held together by the customary framework of wood members consisting of the outer rectangle formed by the stiles(vertical) and rails (horizontal) and the lighter divisions of that rectangle known as muntins which, with the outer frame, support the glass. The muntins in this case are of the relatively heavy type current in the eighteenth century and have a thickness along each axis of the cross section of about 1 ½". They are cut to a shape which these members frequently took in colonial Williamsburg, being rabbeted out on either side of one face to receive two panes of glass and having on the room face a profile composed of circular arcs and fillets suggesting the outline one would get by superimposing a Greek cross on a circle, except that one arm of the cross and half of the circle are omitted.

ALL BUT THREE DOUBLE HUNG WINDOWS OF FIRST FLOOR ARE ORIGINAL

Five of the eight double hung windows of the first floor are old, having been repaired and rehung. The north first floor window on the west side and both first floor windows on the east side are new replicas of the old sash. It was at these points that the wings joined the house and the windows had been removed when these 90 were built. Notches in the old studding, and indications in the hallway paneling, however, gave the exact location of the missing windows of the east side and stud notches alone in case of the west window.

EAST ATTIC WINDOWS MISSING; THESE WERE REPLACED

All of the windows above the first floor, except the two attic windows of the east side, are old and have been repaired. The two east attic windows, again, had been removed when the two story east wing was built and these had to be replaced by new copies of the attic windows on the west side. the exact location of the old windows was apparent from notches in the studding.

ONLY EXTERIOR TRIM IS SHUTTER STOP OR BACKBAND

In the case of the old windows of the house, exterior trim, in the present day sense of a series of molded pieces applied to a structural frame and forming the external enframement of the opening, does not exist. The exterior trim is here restricted to a shutter stop only in the case of all the windows except those of the dormers and this consists of a simple rectangular strip which is applied to the frame and which receives the weatherboarding. In the case of the dormer windows the strip, known in this case as a backband, has an ogee mold on the sash side while the outside, against which the dormer sheathing strikes, is rectangular.

WINDOW FRAME SERVES USES OF STRUCTURE AND TRIM

In the absence of other applied trim the timber frame at the sides and head of the window serves the purpose of trim in addition to performing its structural function. It is rabbeted out on the window side to create a channel for the sash to slide in and on the concealed opposite side to provide a chase for the sash weights, where these exist. It is ornamented to the extent 91 of having a bead carved in its free outer edge.

SILLS ARE OF FOUR TYPES; SILLS OF FIRST FLOOR WINDOWS

The sills are of four different types and they are much heavier than the wood sills in use today, running from about 2 ½" in thickness in the case of the attic window sills to nearly 4" in the sills of the first floor windows. The latter sills are, of all the four types, the most elaborately molded. Their outside profile consists of an approximately semicircular curve about 2" in diameter, beneath which are, in succession, a fillet, cove and bead. All of these moldings return against themselves at the sill ends. These sills are similar in character to two old first floor sills on the north elevation of the Taliaferro-Cole House, though the moldings of the latter are not the exact counterparts of those of the Tayloe sills.

SILLS OF SECOND FLOOR WINDOWS

The sills of the two second floor windows of the west façade are much simpler in treatment. Here the sloping top of the sill ends in a lip which projects about a half inch beyond the face of the sill. This is cut off abruptly at the ends of the sill which are flush with the outer edge of the shutter stop.

DORMER SILLS

The sills of the dormers are simpler still, the only refinement being a curve which unites the sloping top of the sill with the front face. The ends of the sill line up with the dormer sides and the face is flush with the flat outer part of the backband of the window frame. These sills are new, the ones found in place having been later replacements. The precedent followed in the sill design was the old sills of the dormers of the south wing of the Benjamin Waller House.

SILLS OF THIRD FLOOR WINDOWS

In the case of the attic window sills the sloping top surfaces 92 terminate at their outer edges in half rounds which project about ½" beyond the front faces of the sills. These are cut off at the sill ends flush with the backband.

PARTS JOINED BY WOOD PEGS

The parts of the window members discussed above--sash and frames and sills--are joined together by means of hardwood pegs driven through mortise and tenon joints. This method of joinery was also followed where new window members were installed.

TRIM, FRAMES AND SILLS LARGELY OLD

The trim, frames and sills of the windows are in large part old. Where windows had been removed these members, of course, did not exist and had to be replaced with copies of existing old parts. And the latter in some instances, of course, were defective and had either to be repaired or replaced by new pieces.

INTERIOR TRIM TO BE TREATED HERE

Although this section of the report deals with the exterior of the house in the interest of simplicity we will complete the treatment of the windows here by discussing the interior trim and certain other interior features relating to the windows.

FIRST FLOOR TRIM EXTENDS ACROSS BOTTOM COMPLETING WINDOW ENFRAMEMENT

The interior trim of the first floor windows is applied in the manner current today. It is set together out of either two or three molded pieces of wood which combine to form an ornamental frame. This extends across the bottom of the window where we would today normally have an interior sill or stool, so that it forms a complete open rectangle surrounding or "trimming" the window opening as a picture frame "trims" a painting (see photo. p. 128).

DESCRIPTION OF MOLDINGS FORMING TRIM

In all but the two west windows which open into closets off the north and south first floor rooms, the trim measures about 6" across and is composed of an outer, backband member cut to an ogee profile and superimposed upon a piece about 5 ¾" high having two flat faces (fascias) joined by a smaller ogee. The 93 trim ends in a smaller horizontal piece on the inside, the outer end of which is out to the shape of a bead or half circle.

SIMPLER TRIM IN CLOSET WINDOWS

The two windows lighting the closets have a simplified version of this molded frame composed of two trim members only. The trim here measures about 4 ½" across. the second ogee and fascia having been omitted.

TRIM OF WEST WINDOWS OF SECOND FLOOR

The two second floor windows on the west elevation have interior trim of about the same character as the two first floor closet windows just discussed. These two windows likewise serve closets directly above those on the first floor. In the case of this trim, however, the fascia terminates on the sash side in a quarter round rather than a bead. Furthermore, only the backband continues across the bottom of the window being applied to the bottom of the inside face of the sill, which is left exposed in the room. The fascia member with its quarter round is stopped when it reaches the sill, by a rectangular sectioned horizontal strip let into the top of the sill. This also functions as a sash stop.

TRIM OF ATTIC WINDOWS IS VERY SIMPLE

The interior trim of the attic windows, as one might expect, is of the utmost simplicity. This consists of a flat strip, 3¼" in width, which has a ½" bead on the sash side. This trim member completely enframes the opening.

LIKEWISE THAT OF DORMER WINDOWS; WINDOW SEATS

In the case of the dormer windows, because of the fact that the sash confined within a recess nearly two feet deep, great elaboration of the trim was neither possible nor desirable. Thus, the trim, as in the case of the attic windows, consists of a flat strip only, beaded on the edge toward the opening. Because of 94 the depth of the dormer recess the horizontal shelf or stool at the bottom of the panel which occurs beneath the window opening is ample enough to be used as a window seat and, since its surface is at about the proper height from the floor, 1'-6 3/8", it makes a comfortable enough place for sitting (see photos, p. 131).

SHUTTERS EXCEPTIONAL ON DORMER WINDOWS BUT EXIST IN TAYLOE HOUSE

Since the side walls of a dormer recess tend to intercept the direct rays of the sunlight, the problem of light control is not as critical in the case of these windows as in that of windows placed in the thickness of a building wall. Dormer windows were, therefore, in the eighteenth century generally unequipped with shutters or blinds. Instances of the use of outside shutters on dormer windows, though rare, have been found in old Virginia buildings. More common, probably, though they were still very exceptional, were inside shutters which when not in use, swung into depressions prepared for them in the sides of the dormer recess. The dormer windows of the Tayloe House were all equipped with such shutters and they still exist (see photos, p. 131). These shutters are two paneled ones, the stiles and rails of which have a quarter round on the panel side, and the edges of whose panels on their inside faces are out on a diagonal (bevelled), forming a tongue which fits into grooves provided in the frame to receive them. The panel surface is on a level with that of the frame.

LIGHTFOOT AND NELSON-GALT HOUSES HAVE INTERIOR SHUTTERS ON DORMERS

The only other examples of dormer shutters in old frame houses in Williamsburg are the pair found on the south dormer window of the stair hall in the Lightfoot House and those of the dormer windows of the Nelson-Galt House.

INSIDE TRIM AND DORMER SHUTTERS ARE LARGELY OLD

These dormer shutters in the Tayloe House are old as is most of the inside trim which has just been discussed. Naturally, where windows no longer existed and had to be replaced, new trim was likewise required. This was in all cases patterned after old trim which existed in the house.

PURPOSE AND NATURE OF THE DORMER

Since a number of the parts of the dormers have already been discussed it seems feasible at this point to complete the subject of the dormers. The dormer, it should be stated, is a device used to bring light and air into the rooms of a building story which may have n vertical outside walls at all but which, typically is enclosed by two vertical end walls and two roof slopes. Since the light and air which can be admitted by normal windows at the ends is frequently insufficient, the roof is penetrated by these "light boxes," as they might be termed. These are started high enough up the roof slope and are carried out far enough toward the face of the building (the fronts of the Tayloe dormers line up with the faces of the building below) to permit a vertical window of the desired height to be inserted in their ends. The windows are usually two or at most three lights wide and the jamb structure is thin. These factors combine to give the dormers the slender appearance which they generally have.

DESIRE FOR VERTICAL WINDOW PRODUCED CHARACTERISTIC DORMER SHAPE

The desire for the upright window was the circumstance which gave the dormer its characteristic shape--the vertical glazed front and the two vertical sides which, because of the slope of the roof from which they rose, were invariably triangular. We today also very frequently penetrate inclined roofs to bring light and ventilation through them and particularly in the case of metal factory windows, we do not hesitate to make the window, 96 raised somewhat off the roof, parallel with the roof slope. The eighteenth century architect evidently hesitated to attempt this, preferring the vertical window which was no problem to make watertight and which was not so subject to rotting as inclined wood windows would have been. And, thus, these singular appearing, cabin like projections which help to give the restored area of Williamsburg its particular atmosphere, resulted.

VARIOUS TYPES OF DORMER ROOFS; EXAMPLES OF THESE

Dormers were roofed in various ways. In the case of a few gambrel roofed houses in which the lover roof slope in nearly vertical and, in consequence, the dormer projection slight, they had no roofs at all but were capped by the overhanging upper cornice between the two roof slopes. A dormer treatment of this sort is visible in the pictures of the dilapidated old house between Bowling Green and Fredericksburg photographed by a Colonial Williamsburg architect in 1940. Frequently the dormer roofs were hipped as in the John Blair House here in Williamsburg and the Moore House in Yorktown. Sometimes, as in the Ewing and in the south wing of the Benjamin Waller Houses, they were single plane extensions (sheds) of the house roof. Again, they were A-roofs with rake-boarded gable ends as in the Coke-Garrett House, Casey's Gift (now demolished) and in the three north dormers of the Tayloe House, or with pedimented ends such as in the dormers of the Lightfoot and Powell-Hallam Houses and the south dormers of the Tayloe House. In the case of pedimented dormers on gambrel roofed houses the upper (roof) cornice is, as we have said, carried along the sides of the dormer at the eaves level and across the front. The slope of the two halves of the dormer roof is generally the same 97 as that of the upper plane of the gambrel roof. The covering of the dormer roofs is like that of the main house roof, which in the case of the Tayloe dormers, means round butted asbestos cement shingles.

COVERING OF SIDES AND GABLE ENDS; TREATMENT OF LATTER

The sides of the dormers are covered with flush boarding which is sometimes laid horizontally but which, more typically, as in the Tayloe House dormers, parallels the slope of the house roof upon which the sides rest. Flush boarding is also placed on the gable ends of A-roofed dormers, but here it is always horizontal. When these are pedimented the dormer cornice or crown mold is carried horizontally across the front above the window and also along the junction line of the dormer roof with the face of the pediment triangle. When the dormer cornice is not carried across the front the gable end is treated in a manner similar to that of the gable ends of many houses, i. e., flat rake boards are carried along the inclined upper edges of the gable face. These terminate at the bottom against the flush boarding frequently in an ogee curve. The lowest of these flush boards is carried out to receive the ends of the crown mold which runs along the eaves of the dormer roof and this is cut at either end to follow the profile of the crown mold. The treatment of the gable end just described is that found in the north dormers of the Tayloe House. It should be added that the rake boards, here, are beaded on their lower edges and taper sharply toward the peak of the gable.

DORMERS OF HOUSE ARE OLD

As with so many other features of this house, the Tayloe dormers are old, except for the sills which had to be renewed. It should also be noted that the interior of the east dormer on the south side of the house had been altered. This was restored to its original appearance with its window seat and other features.

EXTERIOR SHUTTERS; THEIR TYPES AND DETAILS

Three-paneled solid wood exterior shutters are found on the eight windows of the first floor and two-paneled ones on the two second floor windows of the west elevation. These shutters are all similar in the profiling of the frames and the panels the inside edges of the stiles and rails having a quarter round molding and the panel edges having a quarter round between the flat face of the panel and the bevelled tongue which fits into the groove of the enclosing frame. The three-paneled shutters have similar rectangular panels top and bottom with a square panel between, while the two-paneled ones have two equal rectangular panels. The stiles and rails of the panels are joined by mortise and tenon joints which are secured in place by hardwood pegs.

THREE PAIRS OF OLD ONES STILL EXISTED

Three of the eight pairs of first floor shutters are old, viz., the shutters of the north elevation and the south pair of the west elevation. The remainder of the first floor shutters and the two pairs of the second floor are now reproductions of old examples.

SHUTTER HARDWARE

The three old pairs of shutters of the first floor still retained their old 7" x 8" x 1" wrought iron offset H & L hinges which were repaired and reused. The remaining first floor shutters were provided with reproductions of old hinges of the same size and type. The second floor shutters were given new wrought iron hinges patterned after the old ones. The shutter holdbacks, surface bolts and cabin hooks and staples are new reproductions of old examples found in this vicinity.

BASEMENT GRILLES AND WINDOWS

Basement grilles and windows are found on all but the west side of the house and these are in all cases centered on the axes 99 of the first floor windows above and have approximately the same width as the latter. The grilles are set in the brick foundation midway in its width, with their heads directly beneath the house sills.

DESCRIPTION OF GRILLES

The frames of the grilles are composed of solid stiles 3 ½" square and head pieces 3 ½" wide and 2 ¾" high and they are divided in the middle by a 3 ½" x 3 ½" mullion. The edges toward the opening have been given a ½" bead. The frame parts are held together by pegged mortise and tenon joints, which are also used to join the vertical members with the sill. The latter is a wood piece about 4 ½" wide and 3" high, the top of which within the confines of the frame, slopes to the outside. Being wider than the frame proper the sill projects beyond this and the projecting top edge has been chamfered off at an angle sharper than that of the wash of the sill.

HORIZONTAL BARS OF WOOD AND IRON

Between the vertical members of the frame are inserted five 1" x 1" square bars set horizontally with the edges rather than the faces turned toward the front and back and top and bottom respectively. The top, bottom and middle bars are of wood while the other two are made of iron.

SOME GRILLES REPAIRED; OTHERS ARE NEW COPIES OF THESE

Old grilles were found in a number of the basement openings and these were either repaired or replaced, where this seemed necessary, by new ones, copied after the old. A nineteenth century bulkhead with cellar steps had been built against the north wall in the position of the basement opening at the center of the facade and the opening with its grille had, on this account, been destroyed. The bulkhead was removed, the opening restored 100 to its original size and a new grille, patterned after the old one was installed in it.

Behind the grilles on the basement side of the openings have been placed new bottom-hinged two-light wood windows. These have a single vertical muntin centered on the mullion of the grille. The stiles, rails and muntin of these windows have been given moldings of an eighteenth century character, but the windows themselves are without precedent in Williamsburg and were installed to facilitate the control of the temperature of the basement. Glazed basement windows are known to have existed in the eighteenth century; Scotchtown, the Hanover County house of Patrick Henry between 1771-1777 had them, as well as Rosegill, the Wormeley mansion in Urbanna in Middlesex County, where they still exist. Glazing of basement windows was, however, exceptional the openings normally being equipped only with the grilles which permitted a free flow of air through the basement, which was highly desirable in the damp Virginia climate.

CASEMENT WINDOWS ARE NEW AND WITHOUT BASIS

A word remains to be said about the three now casement windows which, as we have noted, were placed in the north and east walls, respectively, of the porch-kitchen on the north side of the house. Their use is not based on the previous existence of such windows in the house, since the porch was open in the eighteenth century rather than walled in, as at present. The use of wood casements, on the other hand, is justifiable since these existed in Williamsburg in the eighteenth century. Examples of them are found in the gable ends of the St. George Tucker House wings and kitchen and in the ends of the Archibald Blair House.

DESCRIPTION OF THESE

These windows are two lights wide and six high. They have simple rectangular wood frames, beaded on the edge toward the window opening, and unmolded projecting sills. The inner edge of the sash frames, like those of the double hung windows, have a quarter round molding on the room side and the muntins are also similar to those of the old sliding windows.

VENETIAN BLINDS PUT ON FIRST FLOOR WINDOWS

Provision was made in the Tayloe House for the insurance of privacy and the control of sunlight by installing Venetian blinds and window shades. Venetian blinds with 1 ¾" wood slats and linen ladder tapes were placed on all of the first floor windows except the three casement windows of the porch-kitchen. The two west windows of the second floor were also provided with them. There was ample precedent for the installation of Venetian blinds, since these were in widespread use in Virginia and the other colonies in the eighteenth century.^*

ROLLING SHADES ON SECOND FLOOR WINDOWS

With the exception of the two windows of the west front, all of the second floor windows have window shades. More or less similar window shades were in use in the eighteenth century. In fact, self rolling window curtains or shades, made of fabric and operated by means of helical springs coiled about a wood shaft, were invented in the 1750's or 1760's, for Denis Diderot speaks of them in Volume 15 of his Encyclopaedia (1765) as being a recent invention. Plates 38 and 42 of the Encyclopaedia's Volume 100b 9 of plates (issued 1771), furthermore, carry detailed drawings explaining the operating mechanism of these automatic shades. We do not know when self-rolling shades actually reached this country but it is not unlikely that some Virginians had them before the end of the eighteenth century.

SHADES USED IN OFFICE AND KITCHEN

The only two outbuildings which are used for residential purposes, the Office and the Kitchen, are equipped throughout with window shades similar in character to those of the house.

ALL WINDOWS OF HOUSE, OFFICE AND KITCHEN HAVE SCREENS

All of the windows of the house are provided with window screens, consisting of hollow metal frames, channel guides and bronze insect screening. The screens cover the lower halves of the windows only, except in the porch-kitchen where they are full length. The screening was installed, of course, for the comfort of the occupant of the house and makes no claims to authenticity. The Office and the Kitchen are likewise provided with insect screens.

EXTERIOR: DOORS AND DOOR TRIM

OLD BRASS LOCK ON HALL SIDE OF FRONT DOOR

TWO MAIN DOORS ARE IMPRESSIVE IN SIZE; DESCRIPTION OF THESE

The doors with which we are here chiefly concerned are the two old entrance doors at the front and rear of the main hallway. These doors, 7'-8'½" high by 3'-7" wide, are stately and impressive in their amplitude (see photos, p.118). They are both eight-paneled doors, paneled both sides. The panels are of two sizes, which, in two tiers, alternate in the height of the door, the smaller ones being somewhat too low and the larger ones a little too high to be square.

MOLDINGS OF FRAME AND PANELS

As is becoming enough for doors of this size, the moldings of the stiles and rails and those of the panel edges are somewhat more complex than ordinarily. Though the profile is more delicate on the inside than the outside, the frame moldings are similar on both sides and consist of an ogee, followed by a quarter round toward the panels. The panels are, of course, bevelled and molded both sides, the profile on the hallway side, again, being less 102 bold than that on the outside. The molding is a recessed quarter round with a cove effecting the transition to the slope of the bevel.

DOOR TRIM AND SILLS

The architraves or frames around the door opening, though wider on the outside (ca. 7 ¾") than on the inside (ca. 6 ¾"), are identical in the character of their profiling and they are also similar to the profiling of the window architraves of the first floor. The moldings consist of an ogee backband followed, toward the door opening, by two fascias separated by an ogee and the frame ends, on the inside, in a bead. The sills have molded ends similar to the first floor window sills except that the bottom element, the bead, is omitted here.

DOOR HINGES

The doors swing on H & L hinges 11 ½" x 14 ½" in size. The two on the front door are original and were found in place. Those on the rear door had at sometime been replaced by "T" strap hinges. These were removed and new copies of the old hinges of the front door were installed in their place.

BRASS LOCKS, ORIGINAL OLD PIECES

Each door is equipped with a handsome original old brass rim lock 6" x l0" in size. These have been remounted with new countersunk brass screws to replace the bolts which as is seen in our picture on the previous page, held the locks in place before the house was restored. The huge brass keys are new ones made after the pattern of old keys. It will be noted from the picture on p.119 that the lock on the rear door is mounted upside down, while that on the front door in right side up, so that, inasmuch as the locks are in similar positions on the two doors, they must be of different hands. An explanation for the position of the 103 lock on the rear door could be that, in ordering these looks from England, the builder anticipated that the rear door would be hinged on the side opposite the present hinged side which would have permitted the lock to be used right side up. The brass knocker on the front door was given to Miss Elizabeth Coleman between 1890 and 1900 by two Williamsburg residents who purchased it in Italy. Its age is uncertain.

NEW LOUVRED SCREEN DOOR

A two valve louvered screen door has been placed at the south entrance in front of the main entrance door. Each valve has four "panels" of fixed louvers arranged vertically, the panels corresponding approximately in size and position to those of the door behind. Each panel has a series of horizontal louvers on either side of the door with bronze insect screening inserted between the two sets. The screening in this door had no eighteenth century precedent but the design of the door itself is based upon that of old louvered doors which existed in colonial times, except that, of course, the old doors were not double louvered as here. Examples of eighteenth century louvered doors can still be seen in Alexandria, Virginia and New Castle, Delaware.

SHEATHED DOOR OF KITCHEN

There in no counterpart to this louvered screen door at the old rear entrance doorway since the porch leading from this has been enclosed and converted into a modern kitchen. The latter is provided with a new colonial type double sheathed door, with vertical boards on the outside and horizontal inside. Each board is beaded on one edge so that when they are joined a bead intervenes between their surfaces. The two board "layers" of this door are held together with nails having hand wrought heads driven in from the outside and clinched on the inside. These are placed 104 regularly so that the heads form a horizontal-vertical pattern on the outside. The door is equipped with a modern Reading rim look of colonial character and a modern screen door has been set before it. There is precedent in Virginia for such double sheathed studded doors, a good example being a door of the barn at Mount Stirling, Charles City County. The pattern of nail heads is different in this case, however.

The doors of the bulkhead will be discussed under that subject.

EXTERIOR: SOUTH PORCH & PORCH-KITCHEN

SOUTH PORCH WALLS ALREADY DISCUSSED

The foundations of the front or south porch were discussed on p. 64 and the stone steps and platform on pp 72, 73. Only the wood superstructure, therefore, remains to be described.

LATE PORCH HAD REPLACED ORIGINAL ONE; THIS REMOVED AND NEW ONE ERECTED

The A roofed front porch found on the house when its restoration was begun was a late one with Greek Revival characteristics. The one which had preceded this (probably the same porch in an earlier condition) was, judging by the old photograph of it, p. 1, even more correctly classic in its detailing. The original porch evidently, had been removed sometime in the nineteenth century and there was no evidence, other than of its size, as indicated by the old foundations, as to what this porch had been. A porch had to be designed, therefore, following eighteenth century precedent, which would be appropriate for the old building. This was done and the following is a brief description of it.

DESCRIPTION OF PRESENT PORCH; THE SHED ROOF WITH SIDES BOARDED
RAKE BOARDS AND CORNICE

The porch roof is of the shed type, that is, with a single slope which, in this case, in about 25°. The triangular sides formed between the sloping roof and the horizontal beams resting on the column heads are covered with flush, beaded boards laid horizontally. The junction lines between the roof edges and these triangular faces are covered by flat rake boards which taper from 5" in width at the front of the porch to 4 ½" at the house roof. The lower ends of these rake boards receive the crown mold or cornice which runs across the porch front at the eaves line and these are cut to the cornice profile. The cornice, a commonly used colonial molding 5" high, is made up of a cyma recta curve, a fillet and a cyma reversa. Its lower edge strikes against a 106 fascia board 4" high which is beaded at the bottom. The porch ceiling consists of ¾" beaded boards nailed to the underside of the rafters, except that, near the top, it becomes horizontal to receive a recessed lighting fixture. The roof is covered with round butted asbestos cement shingles.

THE TURNED COLUMNS

The porch roof is supported by two full columns at the front and two half columns applied to the house walls. These have a 4" high square cap and a square base 3'-0" high. The shaft is circular in section and tapers from a diameter of 4 ¾" at the bottom to 4" at the top. The transition from the square top and bottom to the an ovolo next to the cap and base, followed by a fillet, with a small cove to join this with the shaft. The half columns are identical in treatment with the full columns.

TREATMENT OF WALL BENEATH PORCH ROOF

The wall surface between the half columns and the door frame and between the headpiece of the frame and the cornice has been covered with flush beaded boards applied horizontally. It was not unusual to emphasize an important feature of a house by treating the wall area in proximity to it differently from the remainder of the house. There were indications in the framing at this point that the covering material here had been other than weatherboarding. It was considered likely that the surface had been covered with flush boarding which was in frequent use in the eighteenth century, so this was used.

THE HANDRAIL

A railing 3'-0" high is, on either side, suspended between the column and half column bases. This is composed of a handrail 2 ¾" high which is squared at the bottom and rounded in a semi-circular curve at the top; a bottom rail 2 ½" high, square, but 107 with edges beaded at the bottom and sloping each way from a center ridge at the top, and square balusters with two of their four edges beaded. The beaded edges are turned so that their center line parallels the building face.

PORCH DETAILS FOUNDED ON PRECEDENT; BASIS FOR SHED ROOF

The various features of the porch are securely enough based upon colonial precedent, even though the porch, as a whole is not a copy of any particular covering for porches were common enough during this period. The porch roof of the place known an Rose Garden in New Kent County, for example, is of the shed type. This starts at a point on the main roof a few feet above the eaves line and sloping at a flatter angle than the main roof, runs down to cover the porch. In the case of Farmington, five miles east of Charles City Court House, on the other hand, the shed begins at the edge of the main roof and continues down at a flatter slope to cover the porch.

PRECEDENT FOR COLUMNS

Turned columns, though not the rule in colonial times, were not unusual. The full and half columns of the south porch of the Tayloe House follow closely the design of the posts of the porch of the eighteenth century Mayo House which once stood in York Street. Although the house no longer existed when the Tayloe porch was being reconstructed, the designers had access to a Coleman collection photograph which shows the details of the porch distinctly. Another Williamsburg house of the colonial period which has since disappeared and which also had a porch with similar turned columns and square caps and bases was Green Hill, also called the Prentiss House, which once stood at the corner of 108 Scotland and Henry Streets. Two old photographs from the Jones collection show the front of this house with the porch. The latter had four full columns at the front and two half columns only, applied to the house wall. Both the Mayo and the Prentiss Houses had hand railings of the same general character as that which was used on the south porch of the Tayloe House.

PRECEDENT FOR RAILING

Handrails with simple rounded tops existed in many variations in the eighteenth century. The upper rail of the top flight of the old stair in the Nicholson Shop of Gloucester Street, is rectangular with the top somewhat rounded. Another more closely similar to ours, once existed on the stair of the Travis House. A porch railing, semicircular on the top, was also found by architects of Colonial Williamsburg, Incorporated at Bel-Air in Charles City County.

PRECEDENT FOR BALUSTERS

As for the square-sectioned porch balusters turned on the diagonal - the balusters of an old stair at Woodville, Essex County are precedent for these.

NORTH PORCH-KITCHEN

The foundations of the north porch-kitchen have been treated on pp. 64, 65 and the windows and door have been discussed under their respective subject headings. We have still to speak of the main features of the superstructure.

REASON FOR CONVERTING PORCH INTO KITCHEN

As we have already noted, what was once the old north porch has been walled in and converted into a kitchen for the convenience of present day living. Originally, of course, the separate outside kitchen east of the house was the center of culinary activities and the food had to be carried across the intervening court and in the rear door to the dining-room. As time went on 109 this arrangement came to be viewed as too inconvenient and a kitchen wing was attached to the west end of the house. This opened directly into the dining room and was convenient enough. But this had to be removed in the course of restoring the house to its eighteenth century condition and another place, still conveniently close to the dining room, had to be found for a kitchen. The only place available for this, and the one which would disturb the old character of the interior least, seemed to be the north porch. So, what was once an open porch is now equipped as a kitchen which, though smallish (ca. 6'-6" x 11'-6" on the inside) is ample enough for the uses of the house.

POSTS AND SHEATHING OF GABLE END MOSTLY OLD

Certain features of the present porch-kitchen are old and belonged, undoubtedly, to the original porch. This is true of the majority of the posts and the half posts (pilasters) applied to the building, and with the sheathing of the triangular gable end formed by the two slopes of the A roof of the porch. These features were repaired and reused and new members (the two posts enframing the door, for example), patterned after the old, were installed where this was necessary.

DESCRIPTION OF POSTS

The posts are of a frequently employed colonial type which was simple enough in its treatment to permit any competent to make them. They are cut from square pieces of timber 4 ¾" on a side and the tops and the bases to a point about 2'-7" above the floor, have been left square. Their modest refinement consists in having the shaft for a length of about 3'-6" above the top of the base chamfered to an octagonal shape. The transition from the square of the base and top to the octagon of the shaft is effected by surfaces at the four corners which, in 110 profile, are cyma rectas. These cuts were given the name of "lamb's tongues" for the obvious reason that they are tongue shaped.

TREATMENT OF GABLE END

The old sheathing in the gable triangle is flush and unbeaded. The diagonal junction lines between the slopes of the roof and the gable face are covered by new, flat, tapering rake boards, beaded on their lower edges. The lower ends of these receive the new crown mold which runs along the top of the two sides of the porch and these are cut to match the profile of this mold.

CLOSURE OF WALLS & ROOF COVERING

The three wall faces of the porch-kitchen are covered with new random width flush beaded boards of colonial character, the use of which at these points was a concession to utility for the porch was originally open. It should be stated in this connection that even though this porch was not enclosed in colonial times, there is precedent for the enclosing of eighteenth century porches. The walling-in of what was once a porch at the southeast corner of the John Galt House is an example. This porch may have been enclosed in the first part of the nineteenth century rather than in the eighteenth but it represents a practice sufficiently early to justify its use here as precedent for the enclosing of the Tayloe porch. The roof covering of the north porch, like that of the house roof, is round butted asbestos cement shingles.

FOUNDATIONS GAVE POSITION OF STEPS, WHICH NO LONGER EXISTED

New wood steps lead from the porch door to the ground. The position of these was evident from foundations uncovered on this site (see archaeological plan, p. 42). The original steps, however, no longer existed when the house restoration began, except for a piece of the lowest, which was of stone (p. 73). A flight 111 of steps with a handrail on one side only was accordingly designed and made to fit the situation. Colonial precedent was, of course, followed in the detailing of this.

TREADS AND RISERS

There are seven wood treads and risers the ends being closed by the carriage which supports the steps. The treads are 9 ½" wide exclusive of the nosings, and the riser height is about 6". The nosing is a half round which has a cove beneath it which is returned around the ends.

RAILING

The porch railing consists of a top handrail 4" high and separated by a space of 8", an "8" high lower rail. The top of the handrail, like that of the front porch, is rounded to a semicircle and the lower edges are beaded. The lower rail has the edges beaded top and bottom. At the upper end the railing strikes against the boarding of the house but its lower is received by a newel which rests on the tread of the lowest wood step. This novel is square in section but the top is turned to a cap whose profile, above a necking, consists of a semicircle merging into a depressed curve which in turn joins a near semicircle at the top.

PRECEDENT FOR DETAILS OF RAILING

The precedent for the handrail is the same as for that of the south porch. Lower railings consisting, as here, of a flat board beaded on the four edges, were plentiful in the eighteenth century. The old stair railing of the Nicholson Shop, spoken of in connection with the south porch railing, had two such beaded rails beneath the handrail and the old stair railing of the Travis House had one. Many newel caps similar in general character to this one were used in colonial times on the posts of stair- and fence railings, and a number of old ones are found in Williamsburg. The 111a old stair of the Carter-Saunders House has newels with caps which, although they are more elaborate, represent the same period and spirit in design.

EXTERIOR: BULKHEAD

FOUNDATIONS GAVE POSITION OF BULKHEAD

Old bulkhead foundations determined the location of the present upright bulkhead which was reconstructed in the position of these walls, against the east side of the house (p. 65). The bulkhead is entirely new since the original one had been demolished when the east wing was erected. The new bulkhead, however, in its design follows the form and detailing of many colonial bulkheads.

DESCRIPTION OF BULKHEAD

It is an A roofed little cabin set up against the side of the house with a pair of round topped board and batten doors in the east end giving access to the basement steps which the bulk head encloses. It is covered on the sides with beaded weather boarding matching that of the house. The four top boards line up with the four lowest boards of the east face of the house while the five boards beneath these strike against the house foundation wall. The entrance face of the bulkhead is largely occupied by the doors but the tympanum above them and the sides on which they are hung are covered with flush boarding. Tapering rake boards cover the line of junction between the roof slopes and the flat triangle above the doors The lower ends of these receive and-are cut to the profile of the crown mold which runs along the top edges of the sides. The doors are built up of vertical random width beaded boards held together at the back by horizontal battens with chamfered edges. Each door swings on two strap hinges The roof material is round butted asbestos cement shingles.

PRECEDENT FOR VERTICAL BULKHEAD

Vertical bulkheads known to have existed in Williamsburg may be cited as precedent for the upright form and detailing of this one. The Carter-Saunders House had such a bulkhead but this had been considerably altered prior to its restoration. Old photographs of the Wythe House show the old bulkhead at the south side of the building, although it was of brick, to have been of the vertical type, and these pictures enabled the architects to restore this feature of the Wythe House. An old upright bulkhead at Mount Prodigal may also be cited as precedent for the present one

INTERIOR: ITS GENERAL CHARACTER

LIVING ROOM AND ITS FURNISHINGS BEFORE THE RESTORATION OF THE HOUSE WAS BEGUN

QUALITIES MAKING IT ONE OF FINEST INTERIORS IN WILLIAMSBURG

The interior of the Tayloe House possesses qualities which make it one of the finest colonial dwellings in Williamsburg. It should be observed first and foremost that its most notable features principally the fine stair and woodwork, are original and have suffered relatively little alteration through repair or replacement. The house, furthermore, because of the amplitude of the stair hall and the free standing placement of the open stair well in this two-story space, as well as the generous size of the door and window openings, has an air of freedom and spaciousness which is scarcely matched in any other house in the town. It should be added that the faithful reproduction of the authentic old colors of the woodwork has added much to the harmonious effect of an interior which, prior to the restoration of the house, lacked warmth because the walls were painted a uniform white. The house which, as it now stands, is very much as it was 115 in the eighteenth century with its beautiful terraced garden, might well have appealed to John Tayloe as capable of serving the needs of a Virginia gentleman and worthy to be made the town dwelling of a member of the Council of the colony.

BASEMENT AND FIRST FLOOR PLANS

SECOND AND THIRD FLOOR PLANS

INTERIOR: STAIR AND STAIR HALL

STAIR HALL LOOKING SOUTH TOWARD MAIN ENTRANCE DOOR. WINDOW BY THE DOOR WAS ELIMINATED IN THE RESTORATION OF THE HOUSE. THE MARBLE SLAB SHELF WITH ITS HAND WROUGHT BRACKETS IS NOTEWORTHY

THE STAIR; ITS SHAPE AND POSITION

The most interesting feature of the stair hall is the staircase itself, which is U shaped with an intermediate landing between the first and second floors. The initial flight of 13 risers starts just to the right of the door to the living room and runs along the west wall of the stair hall to the landing. This landing, about 4'-0" wide and 9'-O" long, is supported by beams which span the stair hall The second flight of six risers springs from the landing and runs free in the space of the hall to the second floor. The two flights are separated laterally by an opening about 15" wide.

THE RAILING

A railing, starting at a newell standing on the lowest tread, runs up the stair on its free side, toward the center, to the landing, along this a short distance and then continues to the second floor where it turns west and runs along the edge of the stair well to the wall. A similar rail at the second floor level runs along LOOKING WEST TOWARD OLD DOOR LEADING TO NORTHWEST (DINING) ROOM. THE MODERN LOCK HAS BEEN REPLACED BY A 6" RIM LOCK OF COLONIAL CHARACTER. THE DOOR UNDER THE STAIR LANDING LEADS TO THE BASEMENT. ITS OLD WOOD "BOX" LOCK AND H & L HINGES HAVE BEEN REPAIRED AND RETAINED. VIEW OF STAIRHALL OF FIRST FLOOR, BEFORE RESTORATION OF HOUSE. THE OLD WOODWORK WAS AT THIS TIME PAINTED WHITE. THE DOOR IN THE RIGHT HAND WALL GAVE ACCESS TO THE LATE EAST WING. THIS DOOR HAS BEEN CLOSED UP AND THE PANELING REPLACED. THE RADIATOR WAS ALSO REMOVED. THE HANGING LAMP IS AN OLD ONE. AN ENLARGEMENT OF THIS IS FOUND ON THE REVERSE SIDE OF THIS PAGE. 120 SUSPENDED GLASS LAMP IN HALLWAY. THIS IS OLD WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE GLASS SHIELD AT THE TOP WHICH IS AN EXACT COPY OF ONE WHICH WAS BROKEN DURING THE RESTORATION OF THE HOUSE. THIS FIXTURE WAS REPRODUCED FOR USE IN THE KING'S ARMS. ONE OF A PAIR OF OLD HAND WROUGHT BRACKETS HOLDING UP MARBLE SLAB NEAR SOUTH DOOR OF HALLWAY. MARBLE WALL SHELVES OF THIS DESCRIPTION ARE LISTED IN A PALACE INVENTORY AND AN OLD ONE EXISTS IN THE MILES BREWTON HOUSE IN CHARLESTON. 121 the top of the east side of the stair well and thence along the north side to the wall. At each change of direction in the stair railing a newel, similar to the one at the base of the stair, receives the hand rail.

HAND RAIL AND NEWELS

The hand rail (see photos, p. 122) is of a characteristic colonial type found among other places in Williamsburg, in the Moody House. The newels are about 3 ¾" square with molded caps square in plan, the profiles of which recall those of the hand rail.

There are three balusters, square at the top and bottom and turned in the middle, to each step. These are of a characteristic colonial design. Certain of the balusters were replaced in the course of time by balusters of the same general character, in which the parts, however, are different in proportion from those of the older ones. These were left in place when the house was restored because, though different from the others, they were thought to be of eighteenth century origin.

STEP ENDS BRACKETED

The ends of the steps are covered by flat brackets, the free ends of which are cut to a curved profile. Although these are not so elaborate as the stair brackets of the Brush-Everard House and Carter's Grove, they are nevertheless effective as ornament.

PANELED DADO RUNS UP STAIRCASE

The triangular area of wall beneath the first flight of steps is paneled to match the paneled dado which runs about the walls of the hallway. This dado is carried up the first flight of steps along the west wall, continues around the intermediate landing and follows the second flight to the second floor, SECTION OF RAILING OF STAIR, SHOWING TURNED BALUSTERS, THE HAND RAIL AND THE ORNAMENTAL BRACKETS COVERING THE STEP ENDS. VIEW OF STAIRWAY LOOKING SOUTH FROM INTERMEDIATE LANDING. THIS PICTURE, TAKEN BEFORE THE HOUSE WAS RESTORED, REVEALS THE FINE STATE OF PRESERVATION IN WHICH THE STAIR WAS FOUND. UPPER STAIRHALL, LOOKING NORTH. THE DOORS AT THE RIGHT, WHICH LED TO THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE EAST WING, HAVE BEEN REMOVED. VISIBLE BENEATH THE RAILING AT THE RIGHT IS THE DOOR TO THE CLOSET OFF THE INTERMEDIATE LANDING. UPPER STAIRHALL LOOKING SOUTH FROM TOOP OF STAIR. THIS PICTURE, TAKEN JUST BEFORE THE HOUSE WAS RESTORED, SHOWS THE DORMER WINDOW WITH ITS INSIDE SHUTTERS AND, AT THE LEFT, THE ENCLOSURE FOR THE ATTIC STAIRCASE. 124 diminishing to a triangular panel at the landing. An interesting feature, in the east wall of the landing, is the small paneled door which opens into a storage space beneath the floor above.

HALL DADO AND FIXTURES

The paneled dado of the stair hall will be discussed under the next subject heading and two interesting pieces of equipment found in the hall the hanging lamp and marble shelf are described in the captions of the pictures of these items on p. 120.

INTERIOR: WALL TREATMENT - PANELING

VIEW OF NORTH FIRST FLOOR ROOM, LOOKING NORTHWEST. THE PLASTER HAS BEEN REMOVED, REVEALING MANNER IN WHICH WOODWORK WAS APPLIED TO THE OLD TIMBER FRAME.

INTERIOR UNIFIED BY WALL TREATMENT THOUGH EXTENT OF WOODWORK VARIES

The interior of the Tayloe House is given a certain unity by the treatment of the walls of the different rooms, since, although these differ in the extent and richness of the panelling and trim used in them, a certain similarity in character is preserved throughout. The greatest degree of enrichment through woodwork is reserved for the first floor, the three rooms of which (considering the hallway as a living space), are either fully paneled from floor to ceiling as in the south (living) room or have a paneled dado 4"-6" in height, as in the north (dining) room and the hallway. These three rooms are likewise all provided with a rather prominent or, in the case of the living room, almost ornate cornice. Above stairs both the paneling (except in the dormer recesses) and the cornice disappear, leaving only a simple chair rail and base and, in the south room, a picture mold in addition, to embellish the walls while serving useful purposes.

FOUR HOUSES IN WILLIAMSBURG OTHER THAN TAYLOE HAVE ROOMS WITH FULL PANELING

There are numerous fully paneled rooms in colonial houses throughout Virginia and four old houses in Williamsburg, in addition to the Tayloe House, have this wall high woodwork in the majority of their rooms. These buildings which have been made, in this way, more rich and sumptuous are the St. George Tucker House, Tazewell Hall, the Market Square Tavern and the Peyton Randolph House. The latter, of course, is a near neighbor on Nicholson Street to the Tayloe House. Comparing the living room of that house with the living room in this the woodwork of the former appears more plain by virtue of the fact probably, that the constituent moldings of the cornice and of the window and door architraves and those used on the paneling are simpler and less bold.

DESCRIPTION OF PANELING OF LIVING ROOM

The panel arrangement of this room which like the other rooms of the first floor, is 10'-2" high, consists of a series of vertical panels about 5'-6" high (exclusive of the frame) between the cornice and the chair rail and a second series between the rail and the base composed of panels about 1'-9" high. Because of the necessity of working the panels in between door and window openings, these vary considerably in their width, the narrowest being about 1'-2" wide and the widest about 2'-2". Above each door are two elongated panels and the overmantel consists of two horizontal panels about 5'-10 ½" in width by 1'-3" and 2'-0" high, respectively. The panels line up with the panel the panel framework. The inner edges of the latter are ornamented with an ogee and a quarter round, while the panel edges have a recessed quarter round joined by a cove with the beveled end. The panel moldings are the same 127 in the north (dining) room and the hall.

LIVING ROOM CORNICE

The most prominent trim feature of the living room is the cornice which is about 10" high and projects about 9 ¾" from the face of the paneling. It is built up of a complex series of moldings which, starting at the top, include a cyma recta, an ogee, a fascia, soffit, quarter round, dentil band and an ogee. Aside from its size, it is the dentil band which lends this cornice its chief interest and vivacity. An old interior cornice having about the same profile as this one but lacking the dentil band and being, furthermore, of plaster rather than of wood is that of the southeast bedroom of the Carter-Saunders House. The old wood cornice of the dining room of the same house is of about the same degree of elaboration as ours but has modillion blocks rather than a dentil band.

CHAIR RAIL AND BASE

The chair rail between the upper and the lower row of panels, with its top about 3'-0" off the floor, is 4 ½" high and consists of a half round with an ogee above and below and a bead at the bottom. The base found in all the first floor rooms is 5" high and has an ogee and a bead at the top.

DADO IN DINING ROOM AND HALL

The dado of the dining room and hall is composed of a series of paired panels, the upper one being about 1'-2" high and the lower about 2'-0". These vary in their width as the room conditions require. The dado is capped by an inch high nosing consisting of a half round and a cove. There in no chair rail in either room.

THREE VIEWS OF SOUTH (LIVING) ROOM OF FIRST FLOOR BEFORE ITS RESTORATION.

WEST WALL WITH DOOR LEADING TO HALLWAY. THE DOOR BEYOND, WHICH OPENED INTO THE EAST WING, HAS BEEN CLOSED OFF.

SOUTH WALL SHOWING THE EXCELLENT CONDITION OF THE PANELING, WHICH WAS PAINTED WHITE AT THIS TIME. IT WILL BE NOTED THAT THE CROWN MOLD AND FASCIA OF THE CORNICE CONTINUE OVER THE WINDOW HEAD WHILE THE DENTIL BAND BENEATH RETURNS AGAINST ITSELF.

NORTHWEST CORNER WITH FIREPLACE AND LATE MANTELPIECE WHICH HAS BEEN REMOVED. THIS IS THE ONE FULLY PANELED ROOM IN THE HOUSE. THE DOOR AT THE LEFT LEADS TO A CLOSET AND THAT AT THE RIGHT TO THE DINING ROOM.

TWO VIEWS OF NORTH (DINING) ROOM OF FIRST FLOOR BEFORE ITS RESTORATION. ABAOVE; NORTH WALL AND A PORTION OF THE WEST WITH THE DOOR WHICH FORMERLY LED TO THE KITCHEN WING. BELOW: FIREPLACE IN SOUTHWEST CORNER. THE DOOR ON THE RIGHT IS THE ONE IN THE PICTURE ABOVE. THAT ON THE LEFT LEADS TO THE LIVING ROOM. THE DADO PANELING IN THIS ROOM IS ABOUT 4'-6" HIGH. IT WILL BE NOTED THAT THE CHAIR RAIL FOUND IN THE ADJOINING LIVING ROOM IS MISSING HERE.

CORNICE IN THESE ROOMS

The cornice in the dining room and hall is made up of about the same moldings as those found in the living room cornice, the chief difference being the omission of the dentil band. It is somewhat less prominent than the other since, though it is about as high, it projects only about 8 ¼" from the wall.

SECOND FLOOR PANELING

As has been stated above, the paneling on the second floor is confined to the dormer window recesses. Here are the two-paneled shutters spoken of earlier and in the walls below each of these and under the window opening and in the apron before the window seat are single panels. The moldings are here much simpler than on the first floor, the frames having only a quarter round and the bevel of the panel edges being slightly depressed but having no further ornamentation.

CHAIR BOARD, BASE AND PICTURE MOLD

The same chair board 4 ½" high and beaded top and bottom is used throughout the second floor. The base in all the rooms is also a flat board, 4" high, beaded at the top. The only other wall trim is the 1 ¾" picture strip which is let into the plaster in the south room at a height of about 6'-3" above the floor. This is beaded top and bottom. It was retained because it is a rather unusual feature in colonial architecture. The ceiling height of the second floor is about 9'-2".

OLD PLASTER REMOVED AND WALLS AND CEILING REPLASTERED

The walls where there in no woodwork and the ceilings are plastered throughout the two floors with new plaster over metal lath. The existing plaster was of a period later than the eighteenth century and was removed. In this process a plaster ceiling ornament of about 1835 in the living room was eliminated.

SOUTH BEDROOM OF SECOND FLOOR LOOKING THROUGH DOOR IN EAST WALL INTO STAIRHALL. ONLY THE WINDOW RECESSES OF THIS AND THE ADJOINING BEDROOM ARE PANELED. THE PICTURE MOLD IS AN UNUSUAL FEATURE HERE.

NORTH WALL OF NORTH BEDROOM. ASIDE FROM THAT OF THE WINDOW RECESSES, THE ONLY WOODWORK IN THIS ROOM IS THE FLAT, BEADED CHAIR RAIL. THE RECESSED PANELED INTERIOR SHUTTERS ARE CLEARLY VISIBLE HERE.

INTERIOR: DOORS AND DOOR TRIM

INTERIOR DOORS ARE LARGELY ORIGINAL

The old front and rear entrance doors have been discussed, along with the new porch-kitchen door, on p. 101 et seq. The remaining doors on the first and second floors are old except for the double valve door between the two bedrooms, which is modern but which was allowed to remain in place.

NUMBER OF PANELS IN DOORS OF FIRST FLOOR

The doors leading from the hall to the living and dining rooms and the one between these rooms are six-paneled doors, paneled both sides. The doors to the closets off these rooms are also six-paneled doors but paneled only on the side toward the rooms. The door from the hall to the basement is a four-paneled door, paneled on the hall side only.

PANELS IN DOORS OF SECOND FLOOR

On the second floor the doors leading from the hallway to the bedrooms are six-paneled doors, paneled both sides. The closet doors off the bedrooms are both six-paneled doors, paneled on the bedroom side only. The two-valve door between the bedrooms is paneled both sides with two panels to each valve. This door is late in period but was retained at the request of the life tenant. The two hall doors (to closet and attic stair) are both four-paneled doors, paneled on the hall side only.

DOOR TRIM

The door architraves on both floors are all the same with the exception of those on the two entrance doors, which are of the same character as these but wider. The architraves of the interior doors are about 7 ¼"" wide and have an ogee backband followed by a fascia, another ogee and fascia, and a bead.

HINGES MOSTLY OLD

Except on the late two-valve door and the door between the living and dining rooms the hinges are old 8" x 10" H & L hinges. The bedroom door has modern butt hinges and the living-dining room door new H & L hinges similar in design to the old ones.

MAJORITY OF LOCKS ARE NEW

Two wooden "box" locks on the basement door and the hall closet door on the second floor, are old, as are the brass rim locks on the doors from the hall to the living room and between the living and dining rooms. The other doors, except the late pair between the bedrooms which has a modern mortise lock, and the door to the attic which has a new rat tail latch only, have been provided with modern reproductions of old rim locks. The door to the basement and that of the closet in the second floor hall have, along with their old wood locks, new rat tail hinges.

OLD DOOR IN BASEMENT

There is one old door in the basement, viz., the one leading from the hallway to the south (maid's) room. This is a board and batten door with three battens and it is of unusual proportions, 3'-11" wide by 5'-7 ½" high.

DOOR FRAME HAS STEP-OVER SILL

The frame of this door merits some comment. It is a complete open rectangle, having, that is, a bottom piece as well as jambs and head. This bottom piece forms a raised "step-over" sill at this door. Door frames of this sort, connected at the bottom, are strong and they were not infrequently used in the eighteenth century. The front entrance door of the Brush-Everard House is believed to have had at one time such a frame and step-over sill.

OLD DOORS OF ATTIC

The basement lavatory door is a new board and batten door. There are two old board and batten doors in the attic, at the head of the stair and in the wall dividing the two spaces of that floor. These doors have been patched and repaired. The one at the stair has two old 8" x 10" H & L hinges and the other one old and one new hinge as well as an old lock.

INTERIOR: MANTELS

MANTELS: LIVING ROOM

Each of the four corner fireplaces has a mantel, and these are in large part new. When the late wood mantel shown in our pictures on pp. 114 and 128 was removed, a patch of mortar underneath suggested that this fireplace had at one time had a marble mantel, held in position with the aid of mortar Accordingly, a marble facing was given to this mantel. The marble selected was Breche Rose, the slabs of which are held in place by concealed anchors. The upper stone has a segmental arched curve and all three pieces are decorated on the inside edges with a cavetto terminating in a bead. Enframing this facing is a 2 ¾" wide wood molding which consists of a fillet, quarter round and a bead. This is a new copy of an old molding found in place around the opening of the dining room fireplace.

DINING ROOM MANTEL

The dining room mantel is of great simplicity consisting only of an oyster shell lime plaster surround with a 2 ¾" molded wood frame on the outside. This is the original frame which was found in place and which served as the model for the wood surround of the living room mantel.

BEDROOM MANTELS

The two bedroom mantels are identical and are new pieces. Next to the opening is a 4" segmental arched plaster band. Above this is a 10" high panel and surrounding the whole, a molded wood enframement consisting of a crown mold composed of a cyma recta and an ogee. This is followed by an ogee, a fascia, another ogee and fascia and a quarter round. A ½" board shelf caps the mantel. This mantel was modeled after pieces once in the collection of old mantels in the Colonial Williamsburg warehouse.

INTERIOR: FLOOR AND FLOORING

MOST OF FLOORING IS OLD BUT REPAIRED

The flooring throughout the house above the basement with the exception of the kitchen, lavatory and bath, the floors of which are covered with linoleum, is old yellow pine found in place when the house was taken over for restoration. This has been repaired where repair was needed and some boards have been replaced by old boards taken from other eighteenth century houses. The floor boards vary in width from about 3 ¼" to 8". They are face nailed and, where new boards were inserted, old type nails were used. The floors are finished with wax in accordance with eighteenth century practice in the finishing of such floors.

The floors in the basement are of cement.

OLD SHELF BRACKETS OF CLOSET

Another feature worthy of brief mention in the brackets holding up the shelving in the closet off the living room. These are out from wood pieces 10" wide and they are, individually, about 1'-7" high. The sides toward the room have been cut out to a depth of over 5" to a profile made up of two ogee curves meeting in a point. The edges of the cut out have a 3/16" chamfer. These are used, in the closet, in series of three brackets one above the other. The brackets are old as is the shelving they support.

ANALYSIS OF HOUSE: PAINT COLORS

The present colors of the woodwork of the house, both exterior and interior, are thought to be quite authentic since they were determined in each ease by scraping off superimposed later layers of paint and exposing the original paint coats. Paint samples closely approximating the original colors were then made and these colors were used on the woodwork of the various parts of the house. The following are the schedules of colors used on the exterior and interior of the house. The number, in each case, is that under which the color is recorded at the Colonial Williamsburg paint shop.

THIRD FLOOR

White Dri-Wall on new plywood. Existing woodwork painted white at time of restoration touched up. Existing natural woodwork cleaned and left natural.

ANALYSIS OF HOUSE: LIGHT FIXTURES

The following is a listing of the lighting fixtures used inside the Tayloe House and on the south porch. Only three existing fixtures were reused. The most interesting of these is the pendant fixture with the inverted bell shaped glass globe which hangs in the first floor stairhall (see photographs pp. 119 and 120). The other two, modern wall sconces each of which supports three candle-lamps are attached to the north wall of the living room. These are shown on p. 128 in our pictures of the living room. The three fixtures were repaired and, in the case of the hall lamp, rewired and in the case of the sconces, wired for electricity.

The remainder of the fixtures are new. These are listed in the schedule below:

ANALYSIS OF HOUSE: HEATING

"SPLIT SYSTEM" IN USE

The heating system of the Tayloe House is known as a "split system." The name signifies merely that the first and second floors are heated by different methods, the former by hot air and the latter by hot water.

FIRST SLOOR HEATED BY HOT AIR

A single boiler, fired by an oil burner, provides the heat for both the hot air and hot water phases of the system. Hot air for the heating of all the rooms of the first floor except the modern kitchen and the bathroom is prepared in a hot air unit by circulating a mixture of return air and fresh air over coils containing hot water from the boiler. The heated air is forced through ducts hung from the basement ceiling to points directly beneath the outlets in the rooms above. These air supply outlets are located under windows and are provided with finned grilles located in the baseboard. Exhaust grilles with return ducts leading back to the hot air units are placed on the inside walls of the room.

HOT WATER USED ON SECOND FLOOR

The hot water for the heating of the second floor and the new kitchen and the bathroom on the first floor is forced by a pump from the boiler through copper tubing to convectors under the seats of the dormer windows or in enclosures under the windows in the case of the first floor kitchen and the bathroom. Air from the rooms is heated by circulating over the convectors, passing to and from them through cut outs in the baseboard. There are no exhaust ducts or grilles in this hot water heating part of the system.

SYSTEM DICTATED BY NEED TO PRESERVE CHARACTER OF INTERIORS

This division of labor between two different methods of heating is being followed in the design of the heating systems 138g of all of the larger residences in the town and in exhibition buildings like the Palace and the Capitol. Its use has been dictated by a concern for the preservation of the eighteenth century character of the interiors of these buildings, for by virtue of it visible radiators and radiator enclosures are avoided, only the inconspicuous baseboard grilles and cut outs being in evidence.

HEATING OF OFFICE AND KITCHEN

To conclude the discussion of the Tayloe heating, it should be stated that the Office is heated by hot water piped to convectors from the house boiler. The kitchen has its own hot water boiler in a pit under the storage room just north of the modern kitchen. All of the other Tayloe outbuildings are unlived in and consequently are unheated.

List of Persons Who Did Research Relating to the Tayloe Property Prior to Its Restoration and of Those Who Executed Drawings for the work

Documentary Investigation

The Research Report on the Tayloe property was written by Mary A. Stephenson of the Department of Research and Record in January, 1949 on the basis of information obtained from eighteenth century documents.

Archaeological Investigation

James M. Knight examined the site, investigated large areas of it by means of cross trenching and recorded his findings in archaeological drawings in 1949 and 1950.

Architectural Investigation and Drawings

Finlay P. Ferguson made preliminary measured drawings of the Tayloe House in 1930.

When the work was begun in 1950, Ralph E. Bowers, as job captain, took field notes on the site and made measured - working drawings for the restoration of the House . He was assisted in the making of certain of the working drawings for the House by Rudolph C. Jensen, Carl T. Prior, Paul Buchanan and Robert C. Taylor. Under Bowers' supervision working drawings for the Kitchen were made by Rudolph C. Jensen, John W. Henderson, Robert C. Taylor and Carl T. Prior; for the SmokeHouse by Carl T. Prior; for the Laundry by George Bennett; for the Office by Rudolph C. Jensen; for the Storehouse by Paul Buchanan and Carl T. Prior and for the Privies by Rudolph C. Jensen.

All working drawings were checked by Joseph F. Jenkins.

Mechanical drawings were made by E. N. Goodson.

Specifications

The specifications were written by Vernon Knapp.

Landscape Design

The landscape design was done by Alden Hopkins and Donald Parker who also prepared the landscape drawings.