Extol Magazine

FEB-MAR 2015

Extol Magazine Celebrating Southern Indiana is a local publication that covers stories about businesses people places or events throughout the cities of New Albany Jeffersonville Clarksville Sellersburg and Louisville KY

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and coal heat. It was outmoded, out of style and terribly expensive to maintain," Stavros said. Te McDonalds walled of access to the mansion's third foor and stairs completely. "Tey actually only used about 7-8 of the rooms in the house on the frst foor only. Tose walls went up in 1899, where they remained for the next 100 years." Te mansion was sold to Te American Legion in 1945 after McDonald's death. Historic New Albany purchased the mansion in 1964 to prevent its demolition to build a gas station. In 1976, the Culbertson Mansion was accepted as a state historic site. When the interior restoration started, all of the walls, ceilings and detail work had been painted white. Room by room, layers of paint and plaster were chipped away and sent to New England for analysis. From there, the samples were dated to a specifc time period and the original color was determined. Tis was a tedious process. One mural alone could have more than 20 color variations. While chemistry was occurring in New England, the local restoration crew continued to expose the original plaster walls and ceilings in the house. As patterns emerged, they were traced on large sheets of paper to create a stencil to be applied over new panels, which would then cover and protect what remains of the original paintings. "We do not actually paint onto the original murals. Te goal of the restoration is to seal them of and protect them from any further damage. We then recreate them using the exact design patterns and color palates that were in the home in the 1800s. Tat is the diference between renovation and restoration," Stavros said. As I meandered through the frst foor, I felt like tiny Alice in a magnifcent wonderland. Te colors of the Culbertson Mansion are quite vibrant, almost primary in their hue. Tis is a characteristic unique to the Culbertson, as most Victorian mansions have more subdued color schemes. I was afraid to blink, as I might miss a detail – pink and white Italian marble freplaces with mirrored covers; giant sterling silver hinges on the interior doors; intricately carved mahogany bookshelves and window valances; encaustic Minton tiles from England inlaid in mantels from the Orient. "Tis is my favorite room in the house," said Stavros as we entered Culbertson's business ofce. "Tat is frosted French glass in the doors separating the ofce from the rest of the house. Tere is an outside entrance for business clients, and originally there was a working fountain in the attached conservatory, which housed exotic plants, particularly oriental ferns." Te ceiling mural in the ofce depicts the arts; the gasolier (gas powered chandelier) has frosted, etched panes of the great thinkers of the time. "Tat light fxture is one of three original gasoliers left in the house. Along with those, four freplace mantels, the basement stove and some personal items, that is really all that remains of the Culbertson family belongings." Te mansion is furnished with period pieces that have been donated to the museum, mostly from local residents or distant relatives. Culbertson eventually became the largest wholesale fabric dealer in the region. In 1854, he started his own utility company, in which he subsidized 50 percent of the cost so all citizens of New Albany could have afordable gas and heat. He served as the president of the New Albany National Bank for 20 years and was a fnancial advisor. "Culbertson did not like the idea of credit," said Stavros. "He believed one should owe no man anything." In 1868, he retired from dry goods to invest in new business ventures. "At the time, there was not a bridge directly connecting New Albany to Louisville. Culbertson felt that the $4 train ride to Jefersonville to cross the river was not afordable or convenient for most residents," said Stavros. "So what does he do? He builds a bridge." Culbertson invested in the Kentucky-Indiana Railroad Bridge Company, in which he paid 60 percent of the total cost of the K-I Bridge. Looking out the back of the mansion, the bridge still stands to the left of the carriage house, not far from the mansion's back yard. "A little known fact is that he still needed $150,000 to complete the bridge," Stavros said. "He contacted his buddy in New York. Maybe you have heard of him? John Jacob Astor? He fnished the K-I Bridge." About three months ago, an article published in 1869 from a New Albany newspaper was discovered, describing the interior of the mansion in full detail. "Tis was a eureka moment for us," Stavros said. "Te Culbertsons allowed a reporter to visit the mansion right after they moved in. Tis has been the missing piece to restoring the second foor." According to the article, the second foor housed red, blue, green, rose and buf rooms, all appropriately named after their paint colors and furnishings. Eerily, these are the wall colors of the current restoration, painted before the old article surfaced. "Do you think there was a little divine intervention in the paint color selection a few years ago?" I asked. 20 EXTOL • 2|15

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