Clara Barton Museum

Following the Civil War, Clara Barton operated an office to aid missing-in-action soldiers out of her apartment. After her tenancy ended, the building was partially occupied by a shoe factory; Clara’s former residence on the third floor was abandoned and unoccupied until it was effectively “rediscovered”, along with over 2,000 Civil War-era artifacts, in 1996. The site is currently owned by the General Services Administration, with the forthcoming museum to be operated by the National Museum of Civil War Medicine.

During the course of this historic conservation and restoration project, converting Clara Barton’s boarding house and offices at 437 Seventh Street into a museum, we provided quality control and consulting services to architect OLBN. A comprehensive restoration scope was developed by the design team for the conservation or replication of historic wallpaper, woodwork, metalwork, plaster, gas lighting, and painted surfaces. Throughout the construction phase, our conservators provided a range of services including quality control and construction oversight; documentation; paint analysis and color matching; product recommendations and specifications; and technical assistance on all aspects of historic conservation treatments.