For the past several months (actually we began scraping in April 2022), the Friends of the Ferguson Home have been working to refurbish the 1900 mansion where the sixth governor of the Territory and his progressive wife, Elva, lived. Thanks to a generous donation and matching grants from the Wheeler Brothers and others, the Friends raised enough to begin the many updates needed on the house, which is owned by the City of Watonga. These included the obvious need for painting to protect the wooden body, trim and sash (movable parts including doors, windows and shutters), replacement of trim to prevent entry of birds and elements, and replacement of gutters. The home was last scraped, primed and painted in 2004 by the Boy Scouts (Kade Poulson Eagle Scrapbook). Some foundation work, and replacement of rails along the front porch and sleeping balcony, and painting the fence are needed, not to mention concern about roofing, always an issue in Oklahoma.
For some weeks now, Tommy Olsen has been scraping old paint and applying primer. Then came the question what color(s) would be used. In addition to the basic white on the body (wooden boards on the sides), the trim around the windows was gray, and there were touches of green on the windows on the south side (these large unique windows need a lot of work). The quick response was to use the best, most protective, long-lasting standard white quality paint. But what about the trim around the windows and doors? The consensus was to continue with gray, including the porches.
However, one source indicates that a Victorian house in the late Victorian period of 1870-1900 might actually have three colors: “Paints now were massproduced and mass-marketed in resealable cans. Strong contrasts were favored. Three-color schemes for the exterior became the norm: one color for the body; a second for the trim; and the third, always the darkest, for the sash (doors, windows, shutters.)” Exterior paint Victorian 1900, From this early photo of the home, it appears the house may have had at least three colors.
The cost of white or black paint in 1900 from Sears was about $1/gallon or $1.87 for colors. Now Superpaint (Sherwin Williams) lists for $87/gallon. Thank you to everyone who contributes to this restoration through membership or donations of time or money.