Salem Custom House Eagle Reproduction

About

Salem, MA

2004

 

 

Built in 1819, this historic building served as offices for the U.S. Custom Service. While American author Nathaniel Hawthorne worked there, he found inspiration for The Scarlet Letter. Today, it is a National Park Service museum that contains exhibits related to its history. The heroic-size wooden eagle on the pediment was carved by Joseph True in 1826. The weathering over time deteriorated the wood, and it was taken down in 2004 to preserve it indoors. Robert and his team worked with the National Park Service to conserve the original. Afterwards, a silicone rubber mold was fabricated to cast a resin replica that matched the original in every detail. The NPS conservators determined the original colors and gilding that Robert and his team duplicated in the copy.