How George Washington’s Mount Vernon wallpaper was finally restored to its original glory
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Once thought lost to time, George Washington’s personal wallpaper has been brought back to life at his Virginia home with what historians think it might have actually looked like when he lived there.
Walls that for years have been painted plain white at Mount Vernon just south of Washington, D.C., are now again decked out in wallpaper, and it’s all thanks to a surprising discovery, some clever work by researchers, and a U.S. company that creates replicas of popular 18th century wallpaper from America’s oldest ally, France.
Colorful wallpaper with ornamental patterns was popular in the late 1700s, and staff at Washington’s Mount Vernon home knew Washington ordered wallpaper in 1757 for the home. But the exact designs were seemingly forgotten and replaced by five rounds of paint.
That was until crews discovered small fragments of original plaster with small wallpaper fragments on them as part of a $40 million restoration project of Mount Vernon for the 250th anniversary of America’s founding. The discovery unlocked new clues about what Washington’s house used to look like, so for America’s big birthday, its first president’s estate has been re-wallpapered. We now get a fresh look at what Washington’s interior decorating tastes were really like.
