Preview of ECW Trip to Kenmore
The ECW visits Kenmore (Kenmore.org on June 20. One gets impression that the house is still living long after the Washington and Lewis families have been the gone with the amount of historical research and interpretation going on. These have made the most sweeping changes in the building’s history.
The most recent restoration began in 2001 with the installation of a new geothermal heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system. Since then, dozens of projects—both large and small—were undertaken to further the knowledge of the property and restore it to its historically accurate, 1775-1800 appearance. Each room has changed significantly, transformed from inaccurate color schemes including peach, white, and gray, to bolder and more surprising color schemes, including bright yellow, light blue, and green. Ceilings, cornices, and overmantels have changed from a dull, detail-masking gray to a brilliant white as they were cleaned, restored, and whitewashed.
They have implemented a new part of the website on the restoration of rooms (http://kenmore.org/wordpress/ . There are articles on chairs and tables. http://kenmore.org/wordpress/?p=125 . They are implementing a new tour on Tuesday and Saturday in June, 2012 – http://kenmore.org/wordpress/?p=117. Visitors play the role of a curator and decide how to furnish Kenmore. Clues, based on historical documents and research, will be provided, but it will be up to the visitor to put the puzzle together
This weekend June 23, & 24 there will part of the annual presentation by the Fredericksburg Players of Shakespeare on the lawn at Kenmore. This year’s play is Julius Caesar, presented in the 18th-century style, much the way George Washington might have seen it. The director, Fred Franklin, will be addressing the audience before and after the play. In case of rain, the play will be moved inside. Come early and enjoy your own picnic on the grounds!