Gibson House Museum Re-opens after Plaster Restoration

Gibson House Museum Re-opens after
Plaster Restoration Project

The long awaited plaster restoration project is complete at the Gibson House Museum. The project began in early September and required Gibson House to close for approximately one month. On Saturday, October 20, 2012, the Gibson House Museum re-opens for regularly scheduled tours, Wednesday – Sunday at 1, 2, and 3:00 p.m. on the hour.  The museum board and staff are delighted with the results of the work done by Andrew Ladygo, a nationally recognized expert in the conser­vation of historic plaster.  

The plaster damage at the Gibson House occurred in 2005 when a plumbing problem sent water pouring from the fourth floor down to the ground floor, severely affecting interior spaces, causing extensive plaster damage in several areas, as well as impacting painted surfaces, wood finishes, and wallpaper. In February 2011, a study of all the plaster ceilings in the Gibson House's museum rooms was conducted by Andrew Ladygo. While most plaster in the museum was found to be structurally sound, the three areas which had received the worst water damage were identified as being immediate problems: the second floor hall ceiling, a portion of the first floor entry hall ceiling, and the third floor bathroom ceiling. All of these areas have been restored using techniques that would have been used at the turn-of-the-century.