Fairmount Park Conservancy’s award-winning conservation team recently restored the front door and entryway of Vernon House – also known as the Wister Mansion – a historic site in Germantown’s Vernon Park. The building was damaged by a fire in January 2024.

Vernon House was constructed in two stages between 1741 and 1805, and was the home of the Wister family from 1812 to 1900. The building has also previously served as the Germantown branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia, and as the home of the Site and Relic Society of Germantown. Today, it is the home of the Black Writers Museum.

This spring, Conservation Supervisor Andrew Staples and Conservation Technician Kenna Larsen repaired the front area of the house that was damaged by the fire. After removing unsalvageable portions of woodwork, the preservation professionals restored the door and trim by carving new wood to recreate the historic patterns, even stripping off layers of paint to see the original carving and ensure the old and new pieces would match. The new and salvaged pieces were reinstalled in May.

“It was a great opportunity for our team to preserve a significant proportion of the original material,” Staples said. “Only the most irreparably burned areas were wholly replaced. We were really happy to have the opportunity to do this work.”