Restoring the Front Parlor

The front parlor was a site of formal entertainment, featuring fine furnishings and architectural elements. More than thirty years have passed since the room was last completely restored. New forensic analysis of the architecture and significant documentary discoveries have combined to reveal more about the appearance and evolution of the room than was previously known.

The rediscovery of a ledger kept by the Fairfax family of Belvoir plantation provided documentary evidence of the original furniture in the room, furniture that was purchased in London and given by George William Fairfax to his close friend George Washington. While none of the original pieces survives, the curatorial team worked to replicate the Fairfax-Washington furniture based on comparable period examples. The original upholstery fabric—a highlight of the room—is documented as being a silk and worsted wool damask dyed “Saxon blue,” a bright and vibrant color that curators worked to replicate.