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How I Began My Journey at The Brown Homestead: An Introduction to the JBH Ballroom Restoration
- Mackenzie Campbell
- Nov 6, 2024
- 4 min read
When I first stepped into The Brown Homestead as a student from Willowbank School of Restoration Arts, I was immediately drawn to the layers of history embedded in its walls. Little did I know that my initial assignment—a class project on restoring the John Brown House ballroom—would turn into the beginning of my career in heritage restoration. This space, which has seen countless families and stories over centuries, has also been my first major project at The Brown Homestead and is now, fittingly, the last piece of the puzzle in the larger rehabilitation of the John Brown House. The ballroom was the one space in the John Brown House that was largely untouched after the 1980-90 restoration by the previous homeowner (my Willowbank plaster instructor) Jon Jouppien.
Willowbank Course
In my second year at Willowbank, our class was tasked with developing a plan to restore the John Brown House ballroom as part of our Historic Interiors Workshop. We were encouraged to approach the project with a vision that both honored the original fabric of the room and respected the transformations it had undergone over time. The challenge was to revitalize the ballroom while preserving the unique layers and stories of each family that had lived there. It was a real test of the principles of heritage conservation we’d been learning—respecting the past without erasing it, and creating something that could be appreciated in the present while retaining traces of every era it had witnessed.
Building a Restoration Plan Rooted in History
Our team started by researching the room’s origins and examining each alteration made to it. This process revealed an unexpected blueprint evolution: over the years, the ballroom had undergone several changes, including partition walls and new layers of wallpaper. Each modification was a mark of adaptation by the families who had lived there, reflecting shifts in lifestyle, tastes, and needs.
We spent hours discussing and analyzing how to bring the space back to life while keeping these changes visible. To balance the restoration with preservation, we designed a plan that would showcase each layer where possible, subtly celebrating the room’s journey over the centuries.
Wallpaper
My interest in The Brown Homestead’s John Brown House Rehabilitation Project was sparked by the intricate wallpaper in the second-floor ballroom. During my summer internship with TBH, I immersed myself in analyzing and documenting each layer, working carefully backward through the order in which they’d been applied. With every strip I meticulously removed, I uncovered original colors and finishes, protected over time by the layers on top. These hidden layers, shielded from sun damage, had retained their vibrancy, offering a glimpse into the room’s past aesthetics. We’re now delving further into research on these wallpaper layers and look forward to sharing some exciting updates on our findings soon.
Wallpaper Preservation: Partition Walls Removal
The large partition wall was a fascinating artifact in itself, dating back to approximately 1860. Constructed with plank and machine-cut accordion lath and plaster, and held together by square-cut nails, it was a piece of craftsmanship that spoke to the construction practices of its time. This date aligns with similar modifications on the first floor, specifically in the dining room, where an identical partition wall had once stood. Previous homeowner Jon Jouppien, removed that wall in the 1980s during his restoration of the dining room.
Deconstructing the ballroom's partition wall was an incredibly delicate and intentional process. We were aware that each element, from the nails to the lath, carried historical value. By carefully dismantling the wall, we preserved each plank, nail, and plaster section, ensuring they remained intact as a complete record of the ballroom’s adaptation over the years. The wallpaper, layered over decades, was also meticulously removed and cataloged. This approach not only safeguarded these historical materials but also created a cataloged archive of this wall’s role in the ballroom’s evolving layout.
The partition wall, now safely stored, awaits a future phase of the project where it will be re-erected as an exhibit piece. We plan to display it in a way that allows visitors to appreciate its intricate construction and the rich, layered wallpaper history it holds. This will offer a tangible glimpse into the 19th-century techniques and aesthetics preserved within the ballroom, enabling a deeper connection to the building’s story and the generations who once occupied its rooms.
Wall Rebuild Project
One of the biggest projects we have done in the JBH thus far was to rebuild the entrance way into the Ballroom. In my next blog post I will go over this process. The wall rebuild project took place toward the end of 2023, bringing me full circle to the room where my journey with The Brown Homestead began. Working with Willowbank students, we rebuilt the entrance wall using traditional methods, restoring the ballroom’s structural integrity while maintaining a faithful connection to the original craftsmanship. This project was the culmination of years of planning, hands-on conservation work, and ongoing dedication to preserving the ballroom’s unique historical layers.
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