Ford restoration

[Rhatkinson]

Dave has put up another excellent post about the reconstruction of Ford's. I thought it deserved a post on here as well.
(http://boothiebarn.com/2013/08/25/recons...ment-4278)

It is sad that no authentic flooring or walls of the buildings where Lincoln lived (the White House) and was killed (ultimately) remain due to those buildings being totally rebuilt on the inside in the 20th century. Do any of you DC historians (Jim or Betty?) know if any of the flooring was saved when the White House was rebuilt under Truman?

I did not realize that the east (alley) wall was not original. I wonder if any of the relics mentioned in the report that were taken when the government first began to remodel the theater in the 1860's are known. I've never heard of any other than the door, sofa, Washington print, and flag.

Heath

ps, here's a picture that I took at Ford's this April from the vantage of Brady after the assassination.
   

[Rsmyth]

Hi Heath,
All of the following are subject to having the provenance scrutinized:
- 3 - wooden chairs from the audience - Lattimer collection
- 6 side chairs removed from the Pres Box when Ford placed his furniture there
- A parlor chair that Mary Lincoln may have been sitting in.
- Fragments of wood flooring, lace curtains and wall paper from the Pres. Box
- Keys from Fords Theater
- The key to the box
- A gilded French made clock from the "green room".
- Another clock (Victorian).
- Spanglers rope
- Reserved notices (one bloody)
- The gas meter used to control the lighting.
- 2 decorative end brackets taken from the box.

[J. Beckert]

The front of Ford's, to the best of my knowledge, is original, as are the side walls. All the windows facing 10th. St. were enlarged a bit at one time, save two. The alley wall was replaced after the 1893 collapse as it was found to be 8-10 inches out of plumb.

[Cliff Roberts]

When Ford's Theater was restored, they couldn't find the original construction plans for the building, so designers had to estimate critical measurements using 1865 photographs and sketches of the interior of the theater for guidance. I haven't had a chance to visit the theater since it's restoration, but from photographs, it looks like they did an excellent job - except for one thing: The presidential box. From various present-day photos of the interior of the box, it appears too small in size to accomodate all the people we know were in the box at one time, not to speak of the various pieces of furniture (the rocker, the sofa and at least three chairs) plus the partition. The far wall (the one facing backstage) seems cut at too severe an angle, making the interior of the box more narrow than it was originally, and the entry hallway seems like it should have been located about a foot or so further right, leaving more room for Lincoln's rocker. At least that's the way it appears from the photos. I'm sure many of you have seen the restored box in person. What do you think? Is the box too small, or are the photos misleading?

[BettyO]

Good observation. I think that the box, from this photo, appears to be smaller. If you notice, two chairs (apparently the "Balloon Back" chairs) are shown in the sketch and only one chair is in the box next to the sofa.

Also the sofa (partition it is up against) is more or less at an angle so that the occupants, if thus seated, could not get a good view of the stage, so what was with that?

Although definitely not to scale, the sketch makes it appear that the box is much larger.

[Anita]

   

These original items from Ford's Theater during Lincoln's time were still there when Coe Construction did the remodel 1965-1967 according to the info below.


Roof wood and nail from Ford’s Theater, where President Abraham Lincoln was shot, in Washington, D.C. Mounted on a wooden plaque made from wood from the ceiling, it also has red velvet from a seat. On the plaque is printed, “Handmade nail removed from original roof truss framing. Board removed from original roof. Velour covering removed from box and balcony rails.” The plaque measures 9 and a half by 8 at widest point. According to the auction listing, “There have only been nine of these made. This item was presented to my brother-in -law who was a banker in D.C. and lent the money for the reconstruction. The restoration was performed by COE CONSTRUCTION, INC. under a contract of $1,928,000.00 with National Park Service of the Department of the Interior, between January 1965 and November 1967.

[L Verge]

The photo definitely makes the box seem smaller than it really is (in my memory). I think it is because the second box (the one closest to the stage) is obscured by the camera's angle. I would also hope that, if the restoration architects got anything right back in the 1960s, they would get the box as close to perfection as possible.

[Anita]

Truman reconstruction relics.

According to http://www.worthpoint.com/blog-entry/white-house-sale
the White House sold off many items from the Truman reconstruction to help defray costs of the project.

"I recount this story, because much of the 1952 renovation of the White House produced an official collectible that is becoming more and more prevalent these days on online auctions. Blocks of wood, handmade 18th century nails, and bricks were some of the original White House construction material carefully packaged and sent to those who requested them for a small fee and postage.

Included with every package was a small unique brass authentication plaque giving the debris a historic legacy and a lasting collectibility. It says simply “Original White House Material Removed in 1950″ featuring the coat-of-arms of the president in the center and six stars to the right, six stars to the left, and one star in the center just below the coat-of-arms. It is this brass plaque that should accompany any order of official White House construction pieces."
   

[BettyO]

Wow.....seems there is a lot of "wood" floating around!

Suffice it to say that a year or so ago when I assisted with the reconstruction of the trial room at McNair, I was given actual wood and nails that was left over from the reconstructed prisoner's dock and witness stand. This reconstruction was constructed out of original wood from the flooring and beams in the room when it was remodeled..... I was also told that some of the wood came from a "warehouse which had originally burned" - supposedly the warehouse where the conspirators were later buried! They had been re-interred when the building burned however. Some of the wood has burn marks on it and I personally have a 2 foot section on one of my bookcases which is pretty well charred (the wood section NOT the bookcase!)

So to those who received a piece of my "garage" stockpile - I will be getting a "provenance" from the Powers that Be at McNair! I kept a list of all the recipients and they too will be getting a copy of authentication.

[Anita]

Betty,

Is there anything left in your garage stockpile? If so, please put me on your list! Seriously I think what you have is is pretty special.

Not long ago Roger posted that Tudor Hall was selling bricks from the original chimney. I guess it's a good way to raise funds.

I have a small piece of brick(me and a million others) from the Lincoln Springfield home sold by the Lincoln Museum gift shop. If I bought a little pieces of Lincoln's hair and a little piece of Mary's dress on eBay I could put it with the brick and make a collage.

Don't know why I'm being so silly. I think it's the heat.

[L Verge]

This reminds me of a story that Rick Smith told me the other day about a visitor to Surratt House who was so happy when he (serving as the guide) found one of the square cut nails that had popped loose from the weatherboarding and was laying in the French drain that encircles the structure in lieu of gutters. Rick picked it up and presented it to her as a token of her visit.

Rick suggested to me that we go to the hardware store, buy up all the square cut nails we can find, paint the heads red like the weatherboarding at Surratt House, and pile them all in a large bowl at Surratt House's gift shop for sale as souvenirs. Let's just say that I have grave reservations with the idea.

On the same subject, however, for years the participants on our Booth Tours would dig in the dirt at Garrett's farm in search of pieces of brick from the "deceased" home's chimney. Lore had it that Col. Julian Raymond, who had commanded both Fort McNair and Fort AP Hill during his career and was well-versed in the history, would send soldiers over to the site to pepper the soil with fragments of bricks for the thrill of souvenir hunters. Modern commanders at AP Hill are not that generous. There are now large signs warning against such activity.

For years, the Dr. Mudd House sold pieces of wood and nails that they had acquired during restoration. If you have visited the site, you know that the downstairs floors are all beautiful new wood. Supposedly, the old floors were taken up and stacked outside during the restoration, and trespassers walked off with the boards. On one of our tours, a few people speculated that those small blocks of wood for sale in the gift shop were really the old downstairs floorboards that were seeing better service as money-makers!

[BettyO]

(08-28-2013 06:41 PM)Anita Wrote:  Betty,

Is there anything left in your garage stockpile? If so, please put me on your list! Seriously I think what you have is is pretty special.

Not long ago Roger posted that Tudor Hall was selling bricks from the original chimney. I guess it's a good way to raise funds.

I have a small piece of brick(me and a million others) from the Lincoln Springfield home sold by the Lincoln Museum gift shop. If I bought a little pieces of Lincoln's hair and a little piece of Mary's dress on eBay I could put it with the brick and make a collage.

Don't know why I'm being so silly. I think it's the heat.

[J. Beckert]

(08-28-2013 11:56 AM)Rhatkinson Wrote:  ps, here's a picture that I took at Ford's this April from the vantage of Brady after the assassination.

I think that after being entirely gutted, the restoration is amazing. However, until Heath posted the side by side, I never noticed the difference in the curve of the proscenium arch.

[BettyO]

Anita -

You are not being a bit silly! I'll scrounge around - but I think that most of the pile is gone.... I'll check and see. I have one other person whom I also want to "put on the list".... I know I have some nails (original) left as well....

I LOVE this kind of stuff and made a shadowbox out of mine - as well as presenting a shadowbox to Powell's relatives -

[Hess1865]

Very cool Betty!!