As it turns out, these pilasters had been painted white shortly after they were built in ca. 1797.  At one point in the painting process a sloppy painter accidentally brushed paint against the brickwork as he painted the pilaster’s base.  In effect this over-brushing captured the profile of the pilaster's base on the brickwork and created a rough profile that showed the shape of the pilaster’s base moldings as well as the base’s exact location.  After removing the stucco on either side of the pilaster, the Restoration Team was able to record the paint ghost and start to design the reconstructed bases.