Conservation Seminar: Architectural Finishes

Students in Cassie Myers’ class HSPV 740 Conservation Seminar: Architectural Finishes worked on a project in Founder’s Hall at Girard College, the historic boarding school for under-served youths founded by Stephen Girard in the 19th century. Founder’s Hall was built between 1833-1847 under tThis is he direction of architect Thomas U. Walter to house Girard College’s first classrooms. A National Historic Landmark, and a Philadelphia landmark for over 170 years, the building is considered one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in the United States. Conservation students conducted finishes analyses in various rooms throughout Founder’s Hall including documentary research and analysis, and in situ paint sampling and exposure windows. Field work was followed by preparation of the paint samples in the Architectural Conservation Laboratory, including embedding and cutting samples, and subsequent microscopic analysis to identify and analyze the stratigraphy of finishes to understand the history of each room and Founder’s Hall as a whole.