These Walls CAN Talk

One of the most remarkable features of the Old Governor’s Mansion is the mesmerizing panoramic wallpaper in the state dining room created by centuries-old French artisan wallpaper manufacturer, Zuber & Cie. Installed when the house was first built, the wallpaper was removed at some point and an exact replica reinstalled in the 1970s, but it had seen serious wear and tear, so a painstaking restoration project was launched in 2022 to restore its original grandeur. 

Whether on a tour or attending an event, visitors to the dining room can’t help but be struck the wallpaper’s explosion of color and detail. Each alluring panel tells the story of a pre-industrial America, or at least a version conceived by an early 19th century French artist who likely never visited the country first-hand!

Walk slowly through the room and take in romanticized interpretations of New York City, a bustling Boston Harbor, cadets marching in formation at West Point as townsfolk look on, Native Americans and settlers in front of Virginia’s Natural Bridge, and Niagara Falls. Each place is defined by universally well-dressed citizenry, untainted bucolic landscapes, and harmony among ethnicities. Named “The Views of North America,” the wallpaper design was originally created by Zuber & Cie in 1834 and became fashionable in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th Century. 

Last year, the Old Governor’s Mansion hired Louisiana native and noted art conservator Elise Grenier to restore the wallpaper. Grenier spent three months renewing the work’s faded colors, repairing tears and adhering loose spots to the wall. 

“We got to see science meet art,” said Old Governor’s Mansion Director Sondra Mott. “It was chipping and peeling off the walls. It was remarkable to watch it being restored.”

Only four known sets of Zuber’s Scenic America exist in the U.S. today, including one in the White House that First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy installed in 1961. One can only imagine how thrilled Long would be to know that it was used in the Governor’s Mansion first. Along with the Old Governor’s Mansion, this historically significant wallpaper is also found in the Monmouth Historic Inn and Gardens in Natchez and at Brown University. 

Don’t miss a glimpse of this rare interior design feature, now brought back to life, as you make your way through the mansion. oldgovernorsmansion.com