Update: Basement Window Project

By Cameron Moon, Preservation Coordinator

Before and after: the basement window sashes have all been installed and bring much needed light to the space.

This photograph was taken after a batten shutter was removed by our preservation staff from the basement in February 2013.

After a slight delay, the newly milled window sashes have been installed in the basement. This week, Richard Marks Restorations, Inc. gave them a final coat of paint and left us with a significantly brighter basement. The main reason for installing these newly milled and glazed sash windows is to cast more natural light into the basement, allowing for more interpretation and education to take place there.  The impetus for this project began in February 2013 when Patricia Smith, Curator of Historic Architectural Resources, and Joseph Mester, former Preservation Technician, conducted a rehabilitation of a window in the northwest room of the basement. The window had been covered by a batten shutter, which was removed. After observing how much natural light the rehabilitated window allowed into the northwest room, the preservation team considered removing all of the batten shutters and installing sash windows to achieve the same effect throughout the basement. This was explained in a previous blog post published in May 2014.

Like the window rehabilitated in February 2013, all of the window frames in the basement are constructed to accommodate a stationary upper sash and a vertical sliding lower sash. In keeping with the philosophy that Drayton Hall be preserved as it was received from the Drayton family in 1974, no significant changes have been made to those frames to reinstall window sashes and remove the batten shutters.  If necessary, the shutters could be returned easily to the apertures without disrupting any historic fabric.

An example of a worn window stop in the basement of Drayton Hall.

Once the preservation team decided to install sash windows throughout the basement, they turned to the Architectural Fragment Collection, which includes numerous window sashes they hoped to reuse in the existing window frames.  Unfortunately, the sashes were not the correct size, so they contracted millworkers of Richard Marks Restorations to craft 36 light sashes to resemble the windows installed in the 1870s with ½” muntins.  The new sashes are constructed in 19th century form to maintain continuity with the rest of the windows of the house.

While the new sashes are built in the 19th century fashion, they are clearly modern, not to be confused with the historic fabric of the frames and window stops. Some of the stops are well worn, while others are in good condition. Richard Marks Restorations left those historic stops in place, regardless of condition.  The new stops on the interior frames clearly differ from the historic stops on the bottom.

This image shows the new stop with historic stops above and below.

The new window sashes make a dramatic difference in the visibility in the basement.  With the increase of natural light we can remove out of place electric lamps, previously needed to provide more light. More interpretive programs can take place in the basement, as all of the rooms are bright enough for visitors to see what surrounds them. Additionally, the new sashes better prevent rain from entering the basement and damaging the interior floors and plaster. We are very pleased with the work Richard Marks Restorations has completed for us, and look forward to the possibilities our newly lit basement will bring.

The new window sashes make a dramatic difference in the basement by adding much needed light to the space.

New Light to an Old Space: Basement Window Project at Drayton Hall

This basement window was repaired by our preservation department in 2013 and shows how the new sashes will look in the other basement window openings.

In the coming weeks the basement window openings, or apertures, will receive newly milled and glazed window sashes. Such a change may raise the question, “I thought Drayton Hall is supposed to be preserved as it was received from the Drayton family in 1974, right?” Yes, that is exactly what Drayton Hall’s preservation team is doing day-in and day-out. Although glazed windows were not present in the majority of basement apertures in 1974, the intact original window frames clearly indicate the use of single-hung window sashes. Artwork and photographs illustrate that windows were in place until the third quarter of the 19th century, after which batten shutters are seen on the basement apertures. Our new sashes will be perfectly shaped to fit in the frames with little to no change of the original material. This addition without alteration will enable us, if necessary, to easily remove the sashes, and return the exterior view of Drayton Hall back to 1974.

Why We are Adding Windows

The installation of the window sashes will allow more natural light into the basement, while also doing a significantly better job of keeping rain out. The additional light will enable us to open the now dark rooms and allow guests to see more of the house.

Historical Images of Drayton Hall’s Windows

The images below show the changes made to Drayton Hall’s basement in the late 19th century. The first photo, taken after the Civil War, shows the house possibly undergoing restoration. The second photo, taken in 1879, shows the replacement shutters in the basement.

Circa 1869, this stereograph is the last known depiction of Drayton Hall with basement windows and shows the house undergoing a possible restoration. Image by G.N. Barnard, courtesy of the Drayton Hall Photograph Collection.

This image from 1879 was the first depiction of Drayton Hall with batten shutters on the basement windows. By B.W. Kilburn, left image of stereograph card, 1879, Drayton Hall Photograph Collection.

Preservation FAQ: Is the Window Glass at Drayton Hall Original?

In celebration of Preservation Month, we are posting a series of preservation-related frequently asked questions. Do you have a question for our preservation department? Please comment below and your question could be featured in a future blog post!

Is the window glass at Drayton Hall original? In a word—no—none of it is original. Changes in window forms during the 18th and 19th century coupled with evidence of glass loss indicate that none of the glass is original, and only half of it is potentially historic. The most definitive reason that the window glass cannot be original to Drayton Hall is that the current sashes are from the 19th century. There are several clues that tell us this, including that the muntin profiles are much more delicate than is typical of a Georgian muntin, which tends to be very wide and flat.

So, we’ve established that the glass is not original, but is any of it historic? We know from archival evidence that much of Drayton Hall’s window glass was replaced after Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Additionally, there are large quantities of window glass that have been found during archaeological excavations, and our architectural fragment collection contains nearly 100 broken panes. If you walk around th
e house, you will see that approximately half of the panes appear to be new, while the rest have imperfections that would seem to indicate that they are older. The trouble with these observations is that they can be misleading. While we now make it a point to replace broken panes with clearly new glass in order to avoid confusion about what is new and what is old, this has not always been our practice. Until recently, it was not uncommon for broken panes to be replaced with new glass made to look old.

By the numbers, 51% of Drayton Hall’s window panes appear to be older, although many of them may be reproductions of historic glass. So, it’s hard to definitively say how much of the glass is historic. What is certain, however, is that none of the glass is original to the house.