Frequently Asked Questions

Lawnfield,
1888 and 1998

Top: Stair landing as photographed in 1888 at Lawnfield, home of James A. Garfield. Above: Stair landing in 1998.

Harpers Ferry Center staff curator Sarah Heald used the historic photograph to acquire original and reproduction objects to refurnish the stair landing.

Fragments of the original wallpapers also helped staff curators to obtain accurate color for the custom reproduction papers.

Q: What do you mean by "historic furnishings", anyway?

A: Historic furnishings are historic or reproduction objects used to recreate the historic appearance of an area in a national park.

Q: Why should I do an historic furnishings report?

A: A Historic Furnishings Report (or HFR) is a good investment for a number of reasons. The HFR provides a history of the historic spaces for interpreters to present to the public. The HFR serves to solidify the furnished spaces by locating each item in the room and documenting why it should be there. As a preservation tool it documents the use of furnishings in an historic context, and focuses attention on an object and its preservation.

Q: How much does it cost to do a historic furnishings report? How much does it cost to do a full production/installation? How much does it cost to do both?

A: Our projects are customized to best serve each park’s unique circumstances. Please call or email to discuss your park’s needs.

Q: How long does it take to do a historic furnishings report? How long does production/installation take? How long does it take to do the whole package – both the HFR and the production/installation? Can the report and the production times overlap, and if so, how much can they overlap?

A: Typically, a Historic Furnishings Report (or HFR) will take a full year to research, write, print and distribute. Larger, more complex sites or projects might take longer. Production usually takes a year, again, longer for larger projects. The time for the report and production can overlap as much as 4-6 months, providing the research clearly documents the recommended furnishings.

Q: What references do you use the most? For instance, what's the best book on historic wallpaper, or chairs or rugs, etc.?

A: Unfortunately, there are no single "best sources" for the kinds of objects we use in historic furnishings. Some of our standard references for domestic interiors include:

• American Interiors, by Harold Peterson (1979, Charles Scribner, New York)
• Our Own Snug Fireside, by Jane Nylander (1993, Yale University/Alfred Knopf, New York)
• At Home, by Elizabeth D. Garrett (1989, Harry Abrams, New York)
• A Documentary History of American Interiors, by Edgar Mayhew and Minor Myers, Jr. (1980, Charles Scribner, New York)

We furnish a range of different structures representing different periods and locales. Please call us for specific advice.

Q: Where can I find different period objects my park needs in order to historically furnish spaces – things such as rugs and carpets, wallpapers, chairs, and the like? In other words, where do you get all your 'stuff', the objects you use in furnishing a historic site? What are your sources?

A: We get our stuff from contractors, dealers with permanent shops, and sellers at outdoor markets-in short, from many different sources. We have more than 300 sources from which we have acquired objects in recent years.

The marketplace is ever-changing and evolving. The best source for a particular item today may not be the one that was best last year or the one that will be preferred next year.

Contact Deputy Associate Manager John Brucksch (phone: 304-535-6119; email: John_Brucksch@nps.gov) or one of our other staff curators: Andy Chamberlain (Andy_Chamberlain@nps.gov or 304-535-6117); John Demer (John_Demer@nps.gov or 304-535-6037); Mary Grassick (Mary_Grassick@nps.gov or 304-535-6035); Sarah Heald (Sarah_Heald@nps.gov or 304-535-6134); Carol Petravage (Carol_Petravage@nps.gov or 304-535-6120). They can help you with sources.

Q: How do I convince my superintendent the park needs a historic furnishings report?

A: A Historic Furnishings Report (or HFR) is a good investment for a number of reasons. The HFR provides a history of historic spaces for interpreters to present to the public. The HFR serves to solidify furnished spaces by locating each item in the room and documenting why it should be there. As a preservation tool it documents the use of furnishings in a historic context, and focuses attention on an object and its preservation.

Also, you might indicate that visitors today are knowledgeable about how a furnished interior should look. They can quickly spot an area that has been furnished inaccurately and will think less of the park (and the NPS) for it.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Furnishings »

RELATED LINKS:

Hire Harpers Ferry Center »