Center for Painted Wall Preservation

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Center for Painted Wall Preservation We are a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the research and preservation of 18th- and early 19th-century, paint-decorated plaster walls.

Located at the junction of the historic Lowell–Salem and Boston–Haverhill stagecoach routes, the David Damon Tavern (c. ...
10/14/2026

Located at the junction of the historic Lowell–Salem and Boston–Haverhill stagecoach routes, the David Damon Tavern (c. 1817) stands as one of North Reading’s most significant Federal-period landmarks.

In 1827, owner David Damon expanded the structure by hauling an entire two-story building from Danvers, adding a first-floor taproom and a second-floor grand ballroom. It wasn't long after, likely between 1828 and 1836, that the polymath artist, inventor, and publisher Rufus Porter stopped in to turn the ballroom walls into a scenic landscape.

Hidden under wallpaper for decades before its 1960s rediscovery, the ballroom offers a rare look into New England’s early folk traditions. While later restoration introduced heavy overpainting and a recreated overmantel (water damage completely destroyed the original), authentic period paint and quintessential Porter details still shine through the later interventions.

Freshly uncovered, a 'new' Rufus Porter mural has officially entered the records! A huge thank you to CPWP advisor Wenda...
10/10/2026

Freshly uncovered, a 'new' Rufus Porter mural has officially entered the records!

A huge thank you to CPWP advisor Wenda Kochanowski, the rest of conservation team, and the staff of the Rufus Porter Museum of Art and Ingenuity for their incredible care and dedication to preserving these fragile painted walls.

10/10/2026

Uncovering a hidden mural beneath old wallpaper is like unwrapping a present from the past.

10/10/2026

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Presenting The Center for Painted Wall PreservationMonthly 100-Piece Jigsaw PuzzleChallenge yourself with images from ou...
10/02/2026

Presenting
The Center for Painted Wall Preservation
Monthly 100-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle
Challenge yourself with images from our archives!
For October, 2026: The Burgess House in Sebec, Maine,
Artist unknown

Puzzle link is available on our website at: pwpcenter.org

In 1999, a 200-year-old house in West Buxton, Maine was sold for $1, cut in half, and moved across town. The mission? Sa...
09/24/2026

In 1999, a 200-year-old house in West Buxton, Maine was sold for $1, cut in half, and moved across town. The mission? Save the two-story mural inside.

Dating back to the late 1700s, the Federal style Carroll Rounds House served as a stagecoach stop and tavern. Inside, it holds a stunning two-story entryway mural attributed to folk artist Jonathan D. Poor (nephew of Rufus Porter). The artwork was first documented back in 1958 by local postman Bartley Jackson, who snapped photos of historic murals along his mail routes. 📷

When a bank purchased the property with plans to redevelop the site, demolition seemed inevitable. But after pushback from the local historical society, the bank agreed to offer the house for $1 to anyone willing to relocate it. 🚛

In 1999 Robyn Skvorak and her husband stepped in to buy the house and took on the daunting task of moving the it across town. They had to slice the 200-year-old building in half and take off the roof just to make the trip. Remarkably, the murals made it to the new foundation without a scratch, and the couple has lived alongside them ever since. As Robyn likes to say: "The best view in the house isn't through the window."

09/20/2026

A lovely reenactmentof early 19th-century stenciling by a living-history lifestyle blogger! 💫

From a small-town Maine parlor in the 1830s to a California museum today, these walls have had quite the journey. 🚚Itine...
09/15/2026

From a small-town Maine parlor in the 1830s to a California museum today, these walls have had quite the journey. 🚚

Itinerant artist Jonathan Poor originally painted the plaster walls inside the Zebulon Trickey House in Westbrook, Maine. In the 1950s, someone painted a bright blue sky around the original artwork.

In the 2000s, when the house was slated for demolition, the walls were rescued, painstakingly stripped of 50s blue overpaint by Kim Washam of Heller Washam Antiques, and relocated to a private home on Nantucket.

When a second remodel put them at risk, rescuers stepped in once again. Today, two of the four original parlor walls have a permanent home at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in City of San Marino, California. 🏛️

Following extensive conservation, the Trickey Murals are now on view in the Fielding Wing of the Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art. Juxtaposed with painted furniture, the murals embody the "American Fancy" desire to bring vivid color into early American homes. They are the very first Rufus Porter School murals on display on west of the Mississippi. 🖼️🌴

09/04/2026

There’s something truly magical about seeing the Rufus Porter school murals under the soft glow of candlelight and flickering oil lamps.

A huge thank you to the Rufus Porter Museum of Art and Ingenuity for putting on such an incredible Night at the Museum! 🕯️🖼️

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Boston, MA
02129

Telephone

315-521-7847

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