Mamaroneck Historical Society Launches Campaign To Save 8 Murals

MAMARONECK, NY — Efforts to save eight historic murals paying tribute to Mamaroneck's unique contributions to the literary and visual arts have taken on a renewed urgency as construction plans that will result in the artworks' loss are scheduled to begin in just a few weeks.

The Mamaroneck Historical Society has launched a GoFundMe campaign to relocate the murals before it is too late. The murals stand in the way of progress in the shape of new construction scheduled to start at Mamaroneck High School on April 1.

At a January 18 meeting, the Mamaroneck Board of Education voted to move forward with construction of a Design Lab at the high school, which will result in the destruction of as many as three of the historically significant murals. According to the current plans, the remaining five murals will be sealed behind new walls.

Superintendent Robert Schaps said at the meeting that an art conservation consultant "identified that the murals are in various states of condition after being on the walls since 1940. We also confirmed that it would be somewhere in the vicinity of $100,000 to $150,000 of additional cost to remove the murals." The superintendent recommended that the project move forward and that the murals be digitally archived before being removed or covered by walls.

The Mamaroneck Historical Society, however, is hoping that all of the paintings can be saved with help from the community.

"Removing the murals requires hiring an art conservation company that specializes in safely removing large paintings done on canvas then glued to walls," Mamaroneck Historical Society Co-President John Pritts wrote. "The process may require lead abatement. The murals would then need to be cleaned and restored then installed at sites in the community. This is an expensive process, and we are seeking your support."

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All raised funds will be used to finance the removal and restoration of the murals and work related to this effort, Pritts said. None of the funds will be used for any other purposes by the Mamaroneck Historical Society.

The number of murals saved will depend on the amount of raised funds. As of noon Friday, the GoFundMe campaign started 24 hours earlier has raised just shy of $5,000 with a goal of $175,000.

Those interested in protecting the longstanding tributes to Mamaroneck's heritage can contribute to the Mamaroneck Historical Society's GoFundMe campaign here.

Pritts' full comments on the fundraising campaign can be read below:

The magnificent and historically significant James Fenimore Cooper murals, on the walls at Mamaroneck High School since 1941, are in the way of approved construction at the school. The Mamaroneck Historical Society believes the community should not lose this valuable asset. Construction is scheduled to begin April 1, 2022.

Our goal is to remove the eight murals from the walls of the high school and reinstall them in the Larchmont Mamaroneck community. Two of the murals, including one painted by Mimi Jennewein, a Mamaroneck High School graduate, are on walls that need to be taken down during construction and potentially damaged beyond repair in the process. The plan for the other six murals is to build a wall over them, making them no longer visible to anyone. This includes Mimi’s painting seen at the top of this page, entitled “The Marriage of Susan DeLancey of Mamaroneck in 1811” (7’7”x7’10”). Losing Mimi’s three paintings and the five paintings depicting scenes from James Fenimore Cooper’s Leatherstocking Tales will be a tremendous loss for our community.

Removing the murals requires hiring an art conservation company that specializes in safely removing large paintings done on canvas then glued to walls. The process may require lead abatement. The murals would then need to be cleaned and restored then installed at sites in the community. This is an expensive process, and we are seeking your support.

All raised funds will be used to finance the removal and restoration of the murals and work related to this effort. None of the funds will be used for any other purposes by the Mamaroneck Historical Society. The number of murals saved will depend on the amount of raised funds.

The murals were the result of the community coming together in 1934 to design, raise funds, and commission these massive paintings that have been seen by thousands of students over the past 81 years. This is our opportunity to come together as a community once again and support the effort to save the murals.

We encourage you to visit our website, www.mamaroneckhistoricalsociety.org, to read the amazing story behind the murals and to view mural photos taken by Charles Seton. You will see why we need to save the murals and rescue Mimi for our community to enjoy for another 81 years and more.

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