1981 - BEFORE RESTORATION, EMERGENCY REPAIRS

It’s impossible to overstate the poor condition of the mansion and outbuildings during the 1980s. The carriage house was in a particularly vulnerable state of disrepair. Emergency measures taken to prevent its collapse included stopgap repairs to the roof and tower. In the race against the accelerating deterioration of Wilderstein’s buildings, full restoration would have to wait. In the years that followed, temporary measures were taken to prevent water damage in the mansion’s attic, library, and tower, and to prevent the collapse of the porte-cochere and the potting house.

Pictured, Daisy Suckley in front of the unrestored carriage house, the deteriorating porte-cochere, and emergency supports for the potting house.