Preservation

NPS carpenter restores the Elliptical Hall plaster ceiling at Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site, August 2020. NPS Photo.

 

Preserving Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site is the mission of the National Park Service. Since acquiring the property in 1940, the park's team of resource managers, curators, conservators, technicians, historians and consultants work year-round to preserve and restore the landscape, gardens, historic structures, interiors and museum collections. Today, ongoing research and advances in technology guide the park's efforts to restore and preserve this place for the future.

Preservation at Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site is managed under three departments—the Facility Maintenance Department, the Natural Resource Department, and the Museum Services Department. Park staff routinely monitor resource conditions, identify preservation needs, and oversee preservation work undertaken by NPS employees and contractors. Together, the professional staff works to ensure that our nation's cultural heritage is protected and preserved, and that visitors to Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site have an authentic experience.

Preservation Highlights

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Conservation of Mr. Vanderbilt's Tapestries

In December 2022, the National Park Service will begin an 18-month project to conserve the verdure tapestries in Mr. Vanderbilt's Bedroom. The tapestries, dating to the 17th century, have not been treated since they were originally installed in the mansion in 1898.

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Rehabilitation of the Vanderbilt Pavilion

After 125 years of varied purposes and changes in ownership, the Pavilion has endured many cycles of maintenance and repair campaigns. The current project will restore the roof balustrade, replace missing shutters, stabilize and repair the porch columns, and address the damaged and missing areas of pebble dash stucco siding.

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History of the Vanderbilt Garden Restoration

Unable to meet the demanding maintenance needs during the park's early years, the gardens were closed to visitation in 1943 and gradually fell into disrepair over the next two decades. During the 1980s, in partnership with the Frederick Vanderbilt Garden Association, the National Park Service launched an ambitious restoration campaign—an ongoing effort that continues today.

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