Please Help Us Paint the Lane House

“I shall certainly want a very great quantity [of paint] in the course of the present year, as I have to renew the whole outer painting of this house.” —Thomas Jefferson, 1817

***

The year was 1817, and Thomas Jefferson was vexed. Paint is a structure’s first defense against the elements, but, as Jefferson complained to his paint supplier, budget woes forced him to “delay [the new paint for Monticello] till towards autumn so as to bring the time of payment within reach.”

Now, as we celebrate our 250th Anniversary, the 1769 Joel Lane Museum House prepares to perform a major renewal of our own exterior paint.

This is not a merely cosmetic project: experts have discovered multiple places where wood is rotting beneath JLMH’s failing paint. We cannot wait to address this emergency. Like Jefferson, however, we are constrained by our budget, and the restoration will cost in excess of $60,000. Your kind gift will help to carry JLMH’s history forward.

Please consider making a donation toward the Joel Lane Museum House Paint Project, because we cannot do this without your support.

Donations may be made by following the PayPal link on our page, through the Eventbrite 250th Anniversary page, or directly to JLMH by calling 919-833-3431 or sending a check to:

Joel Lane Museum House
P.O. Box 10884
Raleigh, NC 27605

Thank you for your generosity.