Charles Lyle, Executive Director, Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum, (860) 529-0612; clyle@webb-deane-stevens.org
Jenny Smith, Pita Group, (860) 293-0157 ext. 15; jenny@thepitagroup.com
Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum’s Joseph Webb House
is receiving a historical facelift
[Wethersfield, Conn., June 4, 2010] —While red is often considered a traditional color for New England homes today, the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum’s Joseph Webb House is returning to the exterior tones of its adolescence.
The home, built by merchant Joseph Webb in 1752 and occupied by the family for nearly 70 years before its purchase by Judge Martin Welles in 1820, has been carefully stripped to bare wood and is currently being repainted. By the end of June the home’s exterior will be painted in a grayish-tan tone with green shutters and doors dating back to the Welles period.
The contractor for the paint restoration project is Gove Restoration, Inc. of Wethersfield. The work started in March and includes repair of damaged clapboards, replacing rotted framing, and chemical stripping of all paint layers back to the bare wood.
While historical paint analysts were not able to pinpoint the original 1752 exterior colors, a black and white drawing of the home during Welles’ ownership in 1832 revealed a lighter body color with dark shutters and front door. 
This was confirmed by an exterior paint study completed in August 2009. The grayish tan body color discovered is believed to date to the 1820s and is consistent with architectural fashions at the time. Modifications made by the Welles family in the 1820s reflect the classical trends of that period.
The entire exterior painting and restoration project is projected to cost approximately $130,000. The work is being funded through matching grants from the federal government’s Save America’s Treasures program and from the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism’s Historic Restoration Fund grant program.
“The federal and state grants we’ve received for this restoration have enabled us to do a much more thorough job that will help to preserve this important landmark for generations to come,” said Charles Lyle, the museum’s executive director. “These critical historic preservation programs matter now more than ever, not only because they protect our heritage at a time when there is limited funding available for historic preservation projects, but also because they serve as economic development engines and job creators in communities like Wethersfield.”
Save America’s Treasures grants are in jeopardy of being completely eliminated and National Heritage Area funding cut by 50 percent. Connecticut residents are encouraged to contact their congressmen and senators to preserve preservation funding. The letter and instructions are available online at https://secure2.convio.net/nthp/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=549
For more information, please contact Charles Lyle at (860) 529-0612
About the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum
Located in the heart of Connecticut’s largest historic district, the museum, which consists of three authentically restored 18th-century homes, brings Wethersfield’s rich history to life, from the American Revolution to the early 20th century. The museum includes the 1752 Joseph Webb House, which served as George Washington’s Revolutionary War headquarters in May 1781, when he met with French Lieutenant General le Compte de Rochambeau; the 1770 Silas Deane House, built for America’s first diplomat to France; and the 1788 Isaac Stevens House, which depicts life in the 18th and 19th centuries through original family objects and includes a children’s exhibit.
The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum, located at 211 Main St., Wethersfield, is open Monday-Saturday – with the exception of Tuesday – from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m.-4 p.m., May through October, and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m.-4 p.m., in April and November. December hours vary, call the museum or visit our website for details. Three-house tours cost $8 for adults and $4 for students and children ages 5 to 18. For information about current exhibits, upcoming events or Museum School classes, call (860) 529-0612 or visit www.webb-deane-stevens.org.
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