America's preservation policy... Driving on the wrong side of the road!

A vibrant tradition of covering architectural surfaces with painted decoration has persisted throughout history and spans the globe. Wall paintings were commonly used to decorate all manner of buildings until the tradition began to wane in the mid to late 20th Century. As a result, painted walls survive in many historic buildings, whether they are exposed and visible or concealed beneath later additions of plaster, drywall, paint or wallpaper.

Although the tradition of painted architectural decoration is no less significant in the United States than in the UK or Europe, there is far less awareness of the American tradition and our historic wall paintings are less revered than their overseas counterparts. But why is there such a discrepancy in the way these paintings are viewed and treated in the US? As a wall painting conservator who has worked for twelve years in both the US and the UK, I have had the privilege to observe the preservation processes and how they operate in both countries. In comparing the two, several legal and cultural distinctions are apparent that contribute to the division in both the perception and treatment of these priceless objects.

Figure 1. below shows the exterior of St Botolph's Church in Hardham, UK. The simple 11th century, two-cell stone building, with its original medieval whitewashed exterior, has seen little alteration. Photo ©Katey Corda, 2005

Listing covers the entirety of a building, including all interior features such as historic paintings, unless components are specifically excluded in the list description. This results in greater control over the changes that can be made to any feature of a building's interior or exterior. Alterations that might affect a “special or historical interest” are subject to statutory consent and execution of unauthorized works is a criminal offence for which individuals can be prosecuted.

The US equivalent to the listed building regime is the National Register of Historic Places – the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. The key difference here is that listings are mostly symbolic. While the Register’s recognition of significance provides some financial incentives (namely tax reductions) to owners of listed properties; protection of the property is not, in fact, guaranteed by law.

Another contributing factor is funding for preservation when a new wall painting is discovered, or a known painting is found to be deteriorating. While the existence of wall paintings in civic and other public buildings is reasonably well documented, there is an equally established tradition for the use of painted decoration within domestic buildings. These buildings (and the wall paintings they contain) are largely in private ownership and maintained at personal cost. The UK offers a significant number of options available for heritage preservation and clear, direct guidelines to individuals seeking financial support. Grants are, of course, a key source and come largely from Historic England and The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). HLF alone distributes around £375 million every year towards heritage preservation projects. Guides to other relevant sources of funds are published online by The Architectural Heritage Fund and The Heritage Funding Directory, to name a couple of entities. Beyond grants, tax relief and a system of opening a property to the public on a for-profit basis provide additional assistance. All of this information is easily ascertained through a quick Google search.

Conversely in the US, there is often no straightforward or easy path to identifying and applying for grants or other financial aid. The identification of funds regularly falls directly on the individual owner or to a local historical society that is itself typically operating on limited resources. Combining multiple small grants is often the only way to achieve the total needed for preservation, as obtaining a substantial sum from a single source can be nearly impossible. This lack of public funding demonstrates the lack of awareness in the US for the importance of our historic decorated walls.

A differing public perception of what is considered significant or valuable in the UK versus the US also impacts the approach to preservation. Perhaps as a result of a longer tradition of built architectural heritage; and thus, much older surviving wall paintings in the UK, even fragmentary remnants are highly valued regardless of significant deterioration and/or damages. In conservation it is therefore acceptable, even preferable, to focus on the preservation of what remains as long as the result showcases the original.

Fig. 2 & 3 below show the fragmentary and damaged remains of wall paintings at St Botolph's Church in Hardham, UK. The parish church is a Grade I listed building and contains the earliest nearly complete series of wall paintings in England. Dating from the 12th century, they were hidden from view until uncovered in 1866. Photos ©Katey Corda, 2005

In the US, an incomplete or damaged scene is frequently viewed as aesthetically undesirable and of little value unless its presentation is pristine. Damaged or incomplete American wall paintings, though historically significant, often face heavy and inappropriate restorations, neglect, detachment, or even total destruction. There is apparent need for greater recognition of the value of preserving American paint-decorated plasters in their original conditions and original contexts.

Though damaged during the removal, the two main figurative scenes were salvaged, but additional decorative panels, unfortunately, were not. The large figurative panels were stored in a nearby barn where they deteriorated, were further damaged, and became infested with wood-boring insects

Below: Fig.5 Piles of frass created by a highly active wood-boring insect infestation Fig.6 Bags of broken fragments collected from the barn where the Card Farmhouse murals were stored for multiple years without adequate protection. Photos ©Corda Conservation LLC, 2018

 At least 10 years passed before the wall stencils were donated to the local historical society, which was eventually able to raise sufficient funds to allow for their conservation.

Fig. 7 & 8  below show the unique and highly significant Card Farmhouse painted wall stencils after conservation treatment. They are unusual stenciled depictions of historical figures including George Washington (top) and the Marquis de Lafayette (bottom). Photos ©Corda Conservation LLC, 2018

If we are to preserve our unique and wonderful tradition of American wall paintings, vast potential exists to look outward and adopt practices that maximize opportunities for thoughtful and appropriate conservation. While no system of heritage protection functions perfectly, there is ample room to improve our approach to wall painting preservation here in the United States through legislative mandates and the creation of additional, more clearly identifiable paths to financing.

We are pleased to acknowledge that this September Plaster Bits was written by Katey Corda of Corda Conservation, LLC.  Katey is an Advisor to the Center for Painted Wall Preservation and will be one of the presenters at the "Conserving Our Painted Past" Symposium to be held in South Portland, ME at the Doubletree by Hilton on April 3-5, 2020. Save the date as the Symposium will be a "not to be missed" inaugural event discussing the art of the painted wall and its conservation.  Check out www.pwpcenter.org for more Symposium information as online registration will open Jan. 1, 2020.

Please help us save more walls by supporting the work of the Center for Painted Wall Preservation (CPWP) by making a tax-deductible donation today. 100% of all donations will support CPWP efforts to document painted walls, advocate for their care, and educate about their significance through the website and events.