Daily Arizona silver belt., 1907-07-24
wAsHINaToN's HOME
Interior Like It Was When First Pres
 ident Occupied It

The interior of the old home of George Washington at Mount Vernon. It's designs, colorings, ceilings and walls, has been restored so remarkably well that the historic rooms look today like perfect reproduction of the old colonial style. The same stucco work that adorned the walls and was admired by the people of the olden days, and by the Washington family itself, among others, is still in it's place. Three gen. erations occupied the mansion on the entrance overlooking the beautiful Po- tomae river, and the hills in the dis tance, after George Washington died. Several times during the time of each family in the house the walls were all painted and kalsomined until eventually the original work was practically GOV cred and buried, perhaps under an inch of accumulation of the painter s brush for many years.
 The praiseworthy idea of destoring entire interior to it's old-time colonial appearance was taken hold of last year by the Mount Vernon Memorial associa- tion and Superintendent II. II. Dodge was instructed to have the disfguring kalsomine and paint scraped from the walls and ceilings, and to secure the services of the best artist available, SO that when completed the finished rooms would look exactly like they did in Washington s time, The boundary line and approaches to the old mansion were also to be included in the work of re- production, and it is safe to say that Superintendent Dodge's efforts have been highly successful.
 The first experiment in the way of restoration was tried in one of the rooms, with the result that the original stucco was located. Then the work was started with the idea in view of reproducing the old-time designs and colors all over the house. Not only the old designs, as they stood moro than Il century ago, but the colorings and the various tints and shades as well, just as they were when the Father of his Coun- try lived there, have been brought out " thV NVihHithf NHp, luHttdu pi iht usual way, took off kalsominc and paint instead of putting it on. The walls and cailings of every room on the lower floor were gone over and serapcd thor oughly Afterward the job was com pleted by the final touches and finish ing tints, which habe transformed the historic rooms to resemble in coloring as near as is possible the exact shades of those of the early days.
 The banquet room has been finished in white and gray, the stuceo work on the ceiling standing out prominently, just as it did when George Washington walked under it, day after day, and year after year. The walls of the parlor are mauve, with a ceiling of gray, and q touch of gilt done artistically about the edges of the stueeo. work.
 The large spacious hall, where hun dreds who were guests of the Washing ton family first entered the old home stead, has been finished in robin s egg blue, with gray and white. The shades blend gracefully and are particularly attractive to the eye. The dining room, with its stuceo and relief work, just as it was ah undred years ago, has also been reproduced in theo riginal color. The walls have been painted a delicate shade of brown with ceiling of gray.