Henry Whitfield House - Renovations

Renovations

The first unofficial renovation and remodeling of the Henry Whitfield House occurred in 1868, under the ownership of the Mary Chittenden. Mrs. Chittenden devoted a great deal of her inheritance from her late husband, Henry Ward Chittenden, to the remodeling and repair of the house. This initial renovation was directed by her son-in-law, Henry D. Cone. By the year 1868, the house's roof was beginning to cave-in and a great deal of the southern wall had collapsed. Several repairs were necessary in order to make the house inhabitable. During this time much of the south wall was rebuilt, the south chimney was removed, the roof was rebuilt, and much of the interior walls were re-plastered. However, the house was not completely changed from its original state. Historical accounts from the Library of Congress state, "as much as half of the ancient wall was not disturbed, the larger part of that being north of the door." In addition, the original foundation of the house remained unaltered.

The second major renovation of the house occurred in 1902, shortly after the museum was opened, led by architectural historian Norman Isham. Isham's main purpose in the restoration was to make the house and museum attractive to visitors and suitable for tours. His renovation included a re-plastering and mortaring of the walls and ceilings, as well as the remodeling of the five smaller fireplaces of the house. Isham's restoration plan was based on what he stated to be, "tradition, inherent reasonableness, and likeness to old English examples." His approach led to the criticism of many architectural experts, including the next renovator, J. Frederick Kelly, who believed Isham was more concerned with the aesthetics than the historical accuracy of the house.

Though minor restorations continue today, the most extensive renovation occurred during the 1930s, directed by J. Frederick Kelly. The purpose of this renovation was to conduct archeological and architectural analyses and restore the house to its condition in 1639. Prior to this extensive renovation, Kelly had experience with the house through his conversion of one of the barns on the property to a caretaker's house in 1923. Kelly's restoration began with the reconstruction of the kitchen in 1930 and the rebuilding of the ell (the wing built perpendicular to the main house) in 1932. The external changes of the house included a steepening of the pitch of the roof, the construction of a chimney at the house's southern end, elimination of the stucco, and the creation of seventeenth century windows with diamond-shaped glass panels held together by lead bars. Interior restorations included the re-creation of a corner window facing the harbor, the restoration of the stair tower to the second floor, the rebuilding of the second floor (which had been essentially removed sometime during the 1700s), and the reconstruction of the partitions that had been used to separate the great hall into several rooms. The final cost of Kelly's restoration was $26,000, financed by the Federal government and individual patrons of the Colonial Dames of America, and it was completed on October 20, 1937.