Preservation Efforts

Preservation Efforts. . , Windsor Ruins has had constant exposure to the elements and nature since the structure burned in 1890, putting the remaining architectural elements at risk of deterioration and collapse. Two of the original 29 columns were destroyed in the fire or collapsed soon thereafter. By 1936 when the Historic American Building Survey photographed the ruins, three more columns had fallen, and a fourth fell by 1970, leaving the 23 remaining today. A few sections of cast iron balustrade at the upper gallery level remained attached to their column anchors., In the 1970s, Claiborne County Historical Society-in coopération with Daniell descendants, the Magruder family attempted to preserve the columns by sandblasting, waterproofing, and removing plant growth atop the capitals. The waterproofing efforts used portland cement, a much more rigid material than the original natural cement. Unfortunately, it created more deterioration of the brick face. Shortly after, another preservation project involved applying concrete caps to the tops of the columns to repel rainwater., The Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) began its oversight of Windsor after its donation by the Magruder family to the state in 1974. While the columns remained in stable condition for many years, tropical storm force winds, moisture, and other damage required professional conservation efforts., Beginning in 2016, MDAH undertook a significant effort to stabilize the columns. This project included stabilizing the masonry and stucco on all of the columns by installing anchors to bond materials together and reconstructing missing brickwork and repointing deteriorated joints in the plinths (bases). Large areas of stucco had been lost on the bases since 1936, resulting in the exposure of this brickwork. Preservationists focused on stabilizing detached sections by injecting a conservation mortar., Additionally, fractures in the iron capitals had caused the loss of a quarter of the cast iron ornaments. For the six most at-risk capitals, professionals removed the 84 individual pieces one by one to gently clean, reassemble, and secure the capitals with anchor bolts and countersink fasteners. Other treatments included rustproofing the capital interiors and installing stainless-steel waterproof caps on each capital. This preservation and stabilization project was completed in 2024.