The mantel of the fireplace in the Library, with an ornate centerpiece depicting two griffins.
When Rebecca’s brother, William Payne, saved the Gore's original home from destruction, he was desperate to throw all useful objects out of the blazing path. When the Gores returned home in 1804, only one wing of the home was habitable. In 1806, the Gores finished construction on the brick Mansion that still stands today.
A few of the objects from the original wooden home were salvaged, the library fireplace among them. Its paint layers tell an interesting story of reuse and revival.
Investigation of the paint layers reveals a paint history consistent with other woodwork in the room; however, there is also a primer coat and two paint layers predating the earliest paint layer applied to the rest of the room. This sequencing shows that the mantle is older than the rest of the room. We can infer that the Gores may have decided to reuse this mantle. The first two paint layers are a light blue-green, typical colors for the 1790s, While the first layer in the library is “putty,” the light beige/gray color that became popular for woodwork after 1800 and was used throughout the house. The griffins above the fireplace were likely a later addition not from 1793.
