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To find traces of the original wall finishes, the Restoration Team first turned to the surviving fragments of the Madison-era plaster.  If a sample of the Madison-era plaster was found, as it was for the North Passage, then it was often possible to determine what finish covered the walls during the Madison era.  However, plaster fragments were not the only places to find traces of wall finishes.  As with wallpaper, traces of paint can also occasionally be found on wooden elements such as the sides of door frames or corner beads.  Because no surviving ca.1812 plaster fragments were found in the North Wing Room, Dr. Susan Buck was asked to sample the room’s wooden elements.  After analyzing her samples Dr. Buck found that the first paint layer of a surviving ca. 1812 corner bead did not match the other paint found on other ca. 1812 trim in the room.

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A surviving ca. 1812 corner bead found on the Madison-era chimney breast in the North Wing Room.