Restoration begins!
The most significant project in the history of the Hayes Presidential Center got off to an exciting start the week of June 11, with the arrival of five historic restoration specialists. The quartet began preliminary work on returning seven areas inside the Hayes Home to their original 19th Century appearance.

Funding for the restoration is provided by a $400,000 appropriation from the Save America's Treasures program administered by the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. As part of that award, the Hayes Presidential Center must raise an equal amount in matching funds. To date the Center's capital campaign titled the Plan to Restore the President's House is two-thirds of the way to its goal.

Restoration Project Consultant Gail Caskey Winkler of Philadelphia, a specialist in Victorian interior decoration, was on site along with: Robert A. Furhoff, historic preservation site inspector/paint analysis expert; Jane Hammond, textile conservator; Neal Hitch, Ohio Historical Society Restoration Coordinator; and Daniel M. Mattausch, preservation consultant for historic lighting. The group collected paint scrapings, removed wallpaper sections, and examined lighting fixtures in an effort to determine how President and Mrs. Hayes decorated the interior of their home. Their weeklong effort uncovered several original paint colors used in the Red Parlor, as well as the original (circa 1883) layout of ceiling paper and friezes in both the Red Parlor and Master Bedroom.