After evidence was found indicating the Mansion was almost certainly red washed during Madison's retirement period at Montpelier, the Restoration Team started to look for evidence of red washes applied in ca. 1764 and ca. 1797.  Specifically the Team searched for red wash samples that were either entrapped under a later material or enclosed by a later addition.  After the investigation, no evidence of a ca. 1764 wash was found.  Additionally, for ca. 1797, the Team only found evidence for a red wash below the water table.  Only finding red washing below the water table was unusual and normally an entire building was red washed.  The odd application of the ca. 1797 red wash may have been an aesthetic choice by President Madison and intended to give the Mansion a solid, heavy looking base.  However, similar to the interior woodwork and Portico columns, the wash below the water table may have resulted from Madison simply not finishing his additions to Montpelier before he was called back to Washington to serve as President Jefferson’s Secretary of State.