What would a Mount Vernon restoration project be without a puzzle or surprise? An unexpected discovery came to light during this year’s exterior restoration: The original Washington bedchamber windows were approximately three inches below the position of the current windows.

Sometime between 1802 and 1829, Bushrod Washington, George Washington’s nephew, added a two-story porch to the Mansion’s south elevation, enlarging the windows of the study and the Washington bedchamber to allow egress at both levels. The porch was removed in 1931 because it was inconsistent with the 1799 period of interpretation. At that time, the windows were restored to what was presumed to be their original size and position.

The exterior restoration work required removing the architraves (window surrounds) of the Washington bedchamber in order to de-install the window sashes for conservation. Behind the 1930s trim, along the top of the window openings, the architecture team found early sand paint on in-situ, 18th-century siding boards (top left). This evidence suggested that the boards saw the light of day in the 18th century; in other words, the position of the windows was once lower. Additionally, some of the 18th-century siding boards had been chiseled back to seat the original architraves, indicating their position. Joinery evidence in the window posts confirmed that the windows had been raised.

Drawing on this information, the team embarked on a carpentry adventure (left) to lower the Washington bedchamber windows, crafting new frames out of chestnut, the type of wood used in the originals, and installing these at the lower 18th-century position (below left). The effect is particularly apparent inside the Washington bedchamber: The window trim, which previously sat above the chair rail, now cuts through the chair rail, just as it does in the back passage window, which had never been altered and remains in its original location.