On December 12, 1989, the ca. 1751 Palmer-Marsh house at Historic Bath caught fire, but what could have been a tragedy was turned out to be a win for preservationists.
The fire stripped off fifteen layers of exterior paint. The site took the opportunity to conduct an analysis of the historic paint, called chromo-chronology, on both the interior and exterior of the building. The analysis determined that the entire exterior of the house – siding, shutters and doors – was originally painted Spanish brown. Spanish brown, or red ochre as it is sometimes called, is part of a large family of natural earth pigments whose color is produced from iron oxide (rust) or the mineral hematite. It was a very stable and inexpensive paint and the most commonly used color throughout the colonies during the eighteenth century.
Although the color may not appeal to modern aesthetics, the faithful re-creation of the original exterior paint scheme furthers efforts to achieve the most historically accurate interpretation of the state’s historic buildings. Now a National Historic Landmark, the home reflects a more authentic visual picture. It reopened to the public in June 1993 and remains an important attraction at Historic Bath.