Dear Friend,
Thanks to a generous grant award from the Preservation League of New York State, the Historical Society enlisted Robert Hefner to complete a conditions report of the Mulford farmhouse. As you can see from the image showing the cracked plaster, which was one of many photographs that accompanied our grant application, the farmhouse is long overdue for a facelift. The conditions report was the first step toward developing a plan to restore the house’s interior to better interpret the site during the American Revolution. The idea for interpreting the Mulford farmhouse during the Revolution was initially proposed by Richard Barons, one of my predecessors at the Historical Society. In 2013, he commissioned a paint analysis to identify interior finishes of the 1760s and 1770s for the west parlor, living room and kitchen, which revealed – among other findings – that the blue color that currently appears on much of the woodwork and corner cupboard would have had a significantly different hue and sheen.
Several of the interior finishes in the house have remained essentially untouched since the Historical Society acquired the Mulford property in 1948. As Robert Hefner noted in his report, the ceiling and several walls have cracked and loose plaster and “this patina of age does not reflect the aesthetic taste of Colonel David Mulford and Phebe Mulford, who would have maintained a neat and clean interior” during the 1760s and 1770s.
Next year’s celebration of America’s 250th provides an ideal opportunity for the Historical Society to accomplish the restoration of the Mulford farmhouse. During the American Bicentennial in 1976, the struggles faced by East Hampton residents during the Revolution were largely ignored in the interpretation of Mulford Farm. Fifty years later, we can address that oversight and emphasize the important role that East Enders played in the Revolutionary saga. If you’re interested in learning more about our efforts and the ways you can help, please email or call me at 631.324.6850, x3.
Sincerely,
Steve Long, Executive Director