Liberty Hall Historic Site Restoration Project

The first phase of restoration of our two historic houses is in full swing. Many of the 92 windows in the houses showed deterioration from age and weather. Moisture problems were increasingly prevalent. So a major initative has begun to deal with this threat.

Restoration of the windows at the Orlando Brown House began in February 2007. Each window was carefully removed, multiple layers of paint stripped off, broken or chipped panes replaced with similar old glass, then reglazed and freshly painted . Now it's possible to see the detail of the windows as they were when the house was built in 1835. The house reopens in mid-September, resplendent with pristine windows and a beautifully restored front portico.

Next, windows restoration proceeds at Liberty Hall. Although the construction of Liberty Hall began in 1796, glass for these windows didn't arrive in Frankfort until 1803. The Brown family had had been occupying the house since 1801. Because of the unusually large size of the panes, the glass was custom made by the Geneva Glass Works in Pennsylvania and then carefully transported by river and mule back to Frankfort. Albert Gallatin, an eminent stateman and industrialist in the early republic, established the glassworks. After Washington, D. C. became the capital, he lived there at the same boarding house with Liberty Hall's owner, John Brown. Other residents included Thomas Jefferson.

During the windows restoration at Liberty Hall, tours will be cancelled, but the Orlando Brown House will be open for visitors. In some cases, it will be possible to observe the work in progress at Liberty Hall.

After the windows in the two houses have been restored, the next phase of work deals with tightening up exterior elements: tuck pointing the brick in some cases, rebuilding several chimneys, and repairing gutters. To provide stable temperature and humidity and reduce monthly utility bills, geothermal HVAC systems for both houses are planned for this phase of improvements.

Another milestone in our restoration occurred in early summer 2007 when Matthew Mosca from Baltimore, MD spent five days at Liberty Hall taking paint samples from the interior. Mosca has utilized his expertise in paint analysis at historic buildings from Mount Vernon to various federal buildings in Washington, as well as historic homes in Virginia and Kentucky. Modern techniques make it possible to determine the color of various layers. He found evidences of early wallpaper in many of the rooms. The detailed report of his discoveries will serve as a guide for the future interior restoration of Liberty Hall-the final phase in bringing our houses back to their former glory for the public to enjoy.