Expert Home Advice | August 2016

Florence P., Oak Bluffs, MA

The term “painted ladies” was coined in 1978 by California publicists Elizabeth Pomada and Michael Larsen. Referring originally to the multi-colored paint schemes of the 1960s and ‘70s San Francisco “colorist” movement, the term is now a popular way to describe any paint scheme using three or more colors, especially on late 19th-century houses such as those in the Queen Anne style. In fact, historically, most houses, not just Victorians, used a three-color palette: one for the siding, a second for the trim, and the third for windows, shutters, and doors.

What distinguished the colorist movement was a whimsical application, often of bright colors not yet available to 19th-century painters, for maximum visual impact rather than architectural design. It was not until 1960, for example, with the introduction of custom tinting in Benjamin Moore’s Moor-O-Matic patented system, that hundreds of shades became technically feasible. Prior to that, even back into the 18th century, paint color varied little from region to region, as most pigments came from a limited number of sources.

Sally Zimmerman,

Senior Preservation Services Manager

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What is the history behind hiding a child’s shoes in the walls of a house?

William R., Jaffrey, NH

One of the most challenging aspects of working with 17th- and 18th-century houses is recapturing the mindset of those who first lived in those houses and how they viewed their world. We rely on archaeologists and anthropologists to remind us that the builders and occupants of our oldest houses saw their surroundings in a very different context. The hiding of shoes or other objects in the walls of a house, the use of certain markings, and other practices are the focus of serious study, not simply dismissed as “superstitious” or as “magical” relics.

 Concealed shoes, bottles, and other items, called apotropaic (Greek for “averting evil”) objects, seem to have been deliberately placed in walls near hearths, windows, and doors, but depending on the object, it’s not clear if the intent was to ward off menace or attract good luck. Study of these objects has been more thorough in the United Kingdom, where the number of ancient houses is much greater and such objects have been tracked more consistently. In the United Kingdom, there is some evidence that placement of such objects peaked during times of societal unrest, such as England’s Civil War of the 1640s.

Sally Zimmerman,

Senior Preservation Services Manager

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I noticed some very ornate stairways and landings in historic buildings where the balusters have three separate patterns of turning that repeat in regular succession. Is that design feature associated with a particular period or region?

Emma S., New Bedford, MA

The use of three separate styles of turned baluster per tread represented the highest level of staircase finish in Georgian-style houses of the mid-18th century. As a highly decorative treatment in the stair- or entrance-hall, often one of the most heavily embellished spaces in an 18th-century house, this type of railing was widely replicated in high-end houses in the Colonial Revival style of the 1890s through 1920s. Such intricate turning work would have been a costly detail, especially in the 18th century, when the work had to be done by hand-turning on a lathe and required a good deal of skill. By the Colonial Revival period, while this type of turning would have been more readily produced with less hand labor, it would still have reflected a premium.

Sally Zimmerman,

Senior Preservation Services Manager

Got a question about an old house you need answered? Submit your questions to Historic New England at:Plus@YankeePub.com.

Historic New England is the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive regional heritage organization in the nation. Historic New England shares the region’s history through vast collections, publications, programs, museum properties, archives, and stories that document more than 400 years of life in New England. For more information visit: HistoricNewEngland.org.