Civil War Graffiti on Top 10 Endangered Artifacts List

Release, City of Manassas:

The Virginia Association of Museums announced today that Civil War graffiti on the wall of Liberia House has made the 2014 Top 10 Endangered Artifacts in Virginia list. The campaign from the Virginia Association of Museums is designed to create awareness of the importance of preserving artifacts in care at museums, libraries and archives throughout the Commonwealth and in the District of Columbia.

The Civil War graffiti on Liberia’s walls was discovered when conservators removed wall coverings as part of the home’s restoration process. Although only a few signatures are fully visible, it is believed that many more exist throughout the house. Uncovering more will require more funds and more painstaking work by expert conservators.

Liberia Plantation held a central role throughout the Civil War. It was first occupied by Confederate forces, and later occupied by Union soldiers. Both Confederate President Jefferson Davis and President Abraham Lincoln visited the house. The signatures uncovered so far belong to Union soldiers. The most promising location for graffiti recovery is an upstairs room that sustained major water damage from a formerly leaky roof. Preserving this graffiti will depend on a delicate combination of plaster repairs and paint removal.

Visit manassasmuseum.org to learn more about Liberia’s restoration efforts.

Photo courtesy of the Manassas Museum System.