Preservation

Historic Kenmore

Standing since 1775, the house is significant for its architectural integrity and unique decorative plaster ceilings. Preservation over the centuries has included the restoration of the decorative plaster ceilings by resident William Key Howard and work in the early 20th century by the Kenmore Association to bring the house and its site to a more 18th century interpretive appearance. In 2001, The George Washington Foundation embarked upon a major restoration of both the interior and exterior of Kenmore. The landmark project took ten years to complete and became a groundbreaking experiment in the historic preservation field, being one of the first restorations of a historic structure to incorporate forensic sciences into the study of the building.

Preservation at Historic Kenmore did not stop with the completion of the restoration of the house in the 2000s. Staff and contractors conduct regular assessments and inspections of the interior and exterior of our historic buildings, with the focus being the main house at Kenmore. This helps in planning out projects for current and future years. With a variety of materials to assess, the Buildings & Grounds and Curatorial departments work together to review current conditions and plan out both routine work and special mitigation projects.

The landscape of Kenmore has always been evolving, both with the seasons and with the needs of the site’s residents and visitors. The 18th century landscape originally included the main house as well as numerous outbuildings, in addition to working gardens and other landscape features. In 1929 the very first Historic Garden Week tour took place with the expressed purpose of raising funds to create the landscape plan to restore the gardens at Kenmore. Noted landscape architects of the time were asked to develop plans for Kenmore at various times in the 20th century, and the garden continued to evolve well into the 1990s, and most recently in 2022, with the restoration of Kenmore’s brick walks.

Ferry Farm

The built environment of Ferry Farm continues to be uncovered. Preservation of the cultural landscape is a priority as archaeology reveals layers of history on the site. The 19th century Surveyor’s Shed, long mis-interpreted as a building original to George Washington’s time, stands on the grounds as a testament to the site’s storied past.