William Pitcher Farmstead HSR

FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS
Finishes on the woodwork on the main floor of the Pitcher Farmhouse range from 1-16
layers thick. Room 107, the north room of the ell, has the most layers of finish. The
door to the cellar (B2) from 104 has the least. The top layers are predominantly oilbased
and contain lead. Earlier layers are that are translucent are glazes, oil-based
paint with varnish added, or pigmented varnishes or shellacs. The walls on the main
floor, with the exception of rooms 101 and 104, are plaster with several layers of
wallpaper. In some cases, the wallpaper has been painted over and more paper applied
on top.
Upstairs, there are fewer layers of finish on the woodwork, which includes not only
doors, baseboard, and trim, but also some plank walls and ceilings, between one and
seven layers. The top coats are opaque, oil-based, and contain lead; earlier layers are
glazes, varnishes, or shellacs. There is less color variation than on the main floor, with
the exception of the upstairs hall area 203, which has both light blue and turquoise as
top coats. Also, sample 205/1, collected from the window jamb in the east room
(205), has a bright green grainy bottom layer. Room 201 is planked and paneled; the
walls and ceiling are coated with a combination of oil and latex paints. Underneath the
planking on the knee-walls, the anchor posts and infill are covered with thick layers of a
lime-based coating. This treatment is also visible on portions of the south wall of 202
and 206. Room 202 is planked on the ceiling and dormer cheeks; the walls, other than
the knee-wall, are covered with a combination of drywall and particle board. The walls
and ceiling of 204 are covered with drywall, which is coated with latex paint. Room
105 has an unpainted plank ceiling. The exposed infill of the knee-wall is coated with a
thick, lime-based coating. The door to room 105 and portions of the south wall of 206
and the outside vertical slabs of 207 are all coated with thick, lime-based coating. The
ceiling of 207 is planked and painted over, then covered with cardboard and wallpaper.
The walls of 207 are wallpapered as well.
The disparity of finishes in quality, variation, and quantity between the main floor and
upstairs in the Pitcher house suggests that the upstairs was much plainer and more
utilitarian for quite some time after the main floor was improved. The garret, room
106, seems to have never been more than a work and storage area. Based on the
evolution of Room 107 in the form of rough plank partition walls, and then lath and
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