Home > News > Conservancy Assists in 19th-century Ceiling Mural Restoration

Conservancy Assists in 19th-century Ceiling Mural Restoration

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

 

The replica ceiling mural on display in the Writing Room at the Noble Maritime Museum, Staten Island.
Conservancy, EverGreene, and Noble Maritime staff in the Writing Room of the Noble Maritime Collection, Staten Island.

Support Us

Donate

Your donation helps us expand our reach and be your voice for preservation.

Make A Donation

Become A Member

Join the Conservancy and be part of our mission to save New York’s extraordinary architectural heritage.

Join Us

Join Our Mailing List

Sign up to receive our free E-Newsletter, informative alerts, our monthly Mystery Landmark contest, and our monthly Tourist in Your Own Town video series.


By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: New York Landmarks Conservancy. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact