Makeover at the Mansion

摘要

An increasing number ofhistoric sitesalong with their collections and ar-chives—are being rediscoveredand preserved today. While many of the preservation and collectionmanagement challenges found in these homes and museums areno different from those libraries face every day, a close study ofthe situation faced by one such institution reveals unique restora-tion needs.Like many other historic buildings across the country,Salisbury House and Gardens in Des Moines, Iowa, isembarking on a major renovation project to preserve itsperiod library and art treasures. Constructed during the1920s, the 42-room historic mansion sits on a 10-acrewooded estate complete with formal English gardens.Originally the home of Armand Cosmetics creator Carl Weeks and his family, Salisbury House was modeled afterKing's House in Salisbury, England—a vision that beganwith a trip to Europe in 1904. Carl and his wife, Edith,returned to Salisbury many times to acquire authenticfurnishings and fixtures for their own Tudor-style man-sion on the prairie. Weeks even salvaged the 16th-centu-ry roof timbers from the old White Hart Inn at Salisbury,under which Shakespeare once reputedly performed.