Although the Joel Lane Museum House has been here longer than the City of Raleigh itself, it seems we may never have seen its real appearance.
Surprising new research has determined that 250 years ago "the Lane House originally bore little resemblance to the yellow building Raleigh has known since the 1970s."
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The iconic mustard yellow exterior, it seems, is just one coat of roughly 26 layers of paint. Each layer reflects evidence of decades of history hidden within the structure.
So what was the original color of the oldest home in Raleigh?
It seems Lane, often referred to as the "Father of Raleigh," chose a distinctive garnet red, highlighted by tan-color trim, for the siding of his new house.
According to Dr. Buck, an expert in historical paint analysis, the original color is quite a surprise. "The original palette is somewhat unusual for a pre-Revolutionary house."
The result is a dramatic revision to the dramatic yellow which generations of Raleighites have come to know.
Returning to its roots
"A lot of the wood [siding] is original," explains Lanie Hubbard, Director for the Joel Lane House. "It hasn't seen the sun since enslaved workers first sawed it into boards, nailed it into place, and painted it 250 years ago."
Beginning as soon as mid-December, restoration experts will remove paint and damaged material. Once repaired, the building will be protected with a new paint, in a vivid red color that has been buried for more than 200 years.
According to Hubbard, The Joel Lane Museum House plans to use this work to enhance their historic interpretation, as docents work to tell the stories of Raleigh's past in a fresh, dynamic light."
The oldest house in Wake County will, once again, take on the color its original owner preferred; and Raleigh will look a little more like it did when it was established in 1792.