Restoring an Icon

Restoring an Icon. Independence National Historical Park. , One of the most challenging projects ever undertaken at Independence National Historical Park was the restoration of Independence Hall. Carried out by a team of historians, architects, archeologists, carpenters and painters, the work established historic preservation standards that are still used today., Their efforts revealed many important details, such as authentic paint colors and the originality of much of the woodwork, and allowed for an accurate restoration of the building's interior.,

"The best break Independence Hall and the NPS ever had was to benefit from the research and scholarship of its best historical, archeological, and architectural investigators. There never was an adequate excuse for 'the h-ll with accuracy, who will ever know' school of economy. There isn't now." , ~ John Cotter, NPS Archeologist

, [Captions:] , Workers installed paneling in the Assembly Room of Independence Hall using 18th century methods., While work continued, the building remained open as much as possible to visitors. At times, some school children found the restoration work more fascinating than the tour., Historical architects Penelope Batcheler (fourth from the left) and Lee Nelson (second from the right) led much of the work. Batcheler was considered "tops" in the otherwise male-dominated field.