The Conservancy facilitated a grant of $156,915 from the Versailles Foundation to the Noble Maritime Collection for the recreation of the ornate ceiling mural in the museum’s Writing Room. Conservancy staff organized a site visit to the museum with the Foundation in early 2023 so the Foundation could learn more about the original 1883 plaster ceiling mural. A portion failed in 2020 and the museum lacked funding to restore or replace it. The Versailles Foundation has funded 3 preservation projects the Conservancy has recommended.
Located on the grounds of Staten Island’s historic Sailor’s Snug Harbor, the Collection is housed in one of five original Greek Revival dormitory buildings designed by architect Minard Lefever c. 1831-1841 to house retired merchant sailors. The Writing Room features a Victorian trompe l’oeil ceiling mural of a greenhouse roof, flanked by trellises with woven canopies. The original plaster ceiling was damaged during a thunderstorm in 2020, and the Conservancy provided Noble Maritime with an emergency grant to engage conservation firm EverGreene Architectural Arts to document and record archival information and historic paint detail.
Read more about the restoration project covered by The Staten Island Advance
