At the Duxbury Annual Town Meeting on Saturday, March 14, 2025, the Duxbury Rural & Historical Society will appeal to the town for $60,000 in Community Preservation Act funding for restoration of two of the most precious and valuable items in our collection: hand blocked wallpaper from France dating from 1818 and c. 1820-25. The paper covers all four walls of two parlors, essentially creating murals throughout the rooms. Currently, this rare and fragile asset is deteriorating. Preserving it will enhance our collection and enable the DRHS to better fulfill its educational and conservation-related missions.

Until now, “historic” lack of climate control at King Caesar House made wallpaper restoration impractical, however in 2025, thanks to a generous bequest from the estate of Dr. Lillian Barlow, the DRHS was able to install a new HVAC system. Now, we can maintain any enhancements made to this valuable and beautiful asset.

The estimated total cost of wallpaper restoration in both parlors is between $225,000 and $250,000. After photographing both rooms for documentation, conservators from Studio TKM in Somerville will first work to stabilize areas of the wallpaper that are lifting away from the wall and reattaching any pieces that have broken off. In the second phase of the process, conservators will work to improve the cosmetic appearance of the wallpaper by filling areas of loss with watercolor or acrylic paints that match the surrounding area.

The DRHS is appealing to multiple sources for funding. These include the Town of Duxbury Community Preservation Committee, our FY 2026 budget, which includes $20,000 for the project, DRHS donors, and other funding opportunities such as the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s Cultural Facilities Fund, which we will be eligible to apply for in fall 2026.

We believe that investment in this project will benefit the town by helping preserve an important interpretive feature of the King Caesar House. Installed shortly after the house was built, the wallpaper reflects interior design trends and tastes of the period while also illustrating how global trade and artistic influences reached Duxbury. The depictions, one of Pizarro’s 18^th century conquest of Peru, and the other of a French pastoral scene, provide rich context for conversation about how ideas and values have changed over the centuries. The restoration process itself will also be an educational experience which we intend to share with the community.

This article received the unanimous (5-0) approval of the Duxbury Selectboard, and approval by the Finance Committee by a vote of 6-0-1 (abstention).

The King Caesar House receives over 1200 visitors annually, and the DRHS provides free enrichment programming to approximately 1500 Duxbury schoolchildren per year. We are grateful to the town and the CPA for support with past projects that helped us to maintain our historic buildings, so that we can continue to offer the programming and preservation work that we know the community expects from our organization. Thank you for your consideration of this next request. To experience the King Caesar House and view the wallpaper, please join us for two upcoming Open Houses.  The first is scheduled for Saturday, March 7, 10-12pm. DRHS Archivist & Historian, Carolyn Ravenscroft will give a talk at 11am exploring the story behind how the mural wallpaper came to Duxbury and why it is worth saving.  Collections Manager, Claire Senatore will be available to answer questions about wallpaper restoration.  The second Open House is scheduled for Thursday, March 12 from 6-7:30 with history talk at 6:30pm.  More information can be found by visiting duxburyhistory.org/events