Our Comeback from Collapse

A Time of Crisis and New Opportunity

In April 2024, Boscobel experienced a devastating event: the ceiling in our historic Library collapsed without warning. Thankfully, no one was in the building at the time.  The damage to the beautiful Library and collection items it contained was catastrophic, and extended to adjoining rooms. 

Boscobel’s staff and team of engineers, architects, preservation experts, and local officials  moved swiftly to assess and stabilize the room and begin emergency repairs.

Their work uncovered an alarming and much larger problem: 19 of our 24 ceilings were at risk of collapse and needed to be removed immediately. What began as a one-room disaster has sparked a once-in-a-generation preservation effort to safeguard this national treasure. 

The damage Boscobel suffered is heartbreaking for all who cherish this place, but it is not the first – or second – time that Boscobel has faced daunting odds. Just as the community rallied in the 1950s to save Boscobel from demolition, we now have an opportunity to come together once again to restore, reimagine, and reinvest in one of America’s most beautiful places.

What’s Affected

Boscobel’s Historic House Museum is closed to the public for the foreseeable future, with a goal to reopen for “Restoration Tours” by midsummer. The collapse of the Library ceiling caused widespread damage—not only to the room itself but to adjacent spaces and the museum’s collection.

Some objects sustained irreversible damage, others are being repaired by expert conservators. Every surface inside the house was coated in a fine layer of plaster dust that must be carefully removed, inch by inch, using both cutting-edge and tried-and-true conservation methods. In the immediate aftermath, the building’s HVAC system had to be shut down, which exposed environmentally sensitive items to damaging fluctuations in temperature and humidity.  Objects can be damaged by the very act of moving them repeatedly until construction is complete, so they require heightened vigilance and care until they can return to their “home” positions.

This is no small repair—it’s a massive, meticulous restoration of both structure and collection. Insurance coverage is only partial at best. Just to restore the building to safe and operational (not including soft furnishings and decorative elements such as updated wallcovering, carpets, window treatments, etc.) will cost over $2 million. 

Rising to the Challenge

What began as an emergency is now a powerful opportunity to do something extraordinary: restore and reimagine Boscobel for the next generation. We are launching an emergency restoration fund with a goal of raising more than $1.2 million to stabilize and restore the house, conserve and refine the collection, and ensure Boscobel remains a beacon of history, design, and nature in the Hudson Valley. With vision, care, and collective community effort, we can renew Boscobel’s beauty, open its door even wider to all audiences, and deepen its role as a cultural cornerstone of the Hudson Valley.

How You Can Help

Boscobel has always been a symbol of resilience. With your help, we will turn this crisis into a bold new chapter. One that preserves our shared history and ensures Boscobel remains an extraordinary place of beauty, learning, and inspiration for generations to come.

Boscobel’s future is not guaranteed. It depends on the generosity and engagement of our community. Here’s how you can make an immediate difference:

• Make a donation to support the emergency restoration fund
• Become a Boscobel Member
• Own a business? Become a Comeback from Collapse Corporate Sponsor 
• Attend an upcoming program or special event
• Follow our story and share what you love about Boscobel on social media

For questions about our restoration efforts or how your donation will be used, please contact development@boscobel.org

We are deeply thankful to the cultural organizations, neighbors, volunteers, and supporters who have already stepped forward with generosity and encouragement: 

 

 

 

Behind Closed Doors 

Explore a few small behind-the-scenes snapshots of preservation in action: 

April 2024: Staff and volunteers combed through the debris inch by inch to recover fragments of collection items and began packing up objects from the Library and surrounding rooms, transforming Boscobel’s Gallery into emergency storage. The iconic chandelier was crushed in the ceiling collapse beyond repair, with only the central Hermes figure making it out unscathed. 

May and June 2024: The first objects are sent out for conservation. Staff and volunteers began deinstalling collection objects as the construction scope widens. Our summer intern and facilities manager are trained by experts from the Textile Conservation Workshop on best practices to vacuum over 100 chairs and cushion inch-by-inch to remove plaster dust that covered nearly every object in the House. 

 

Summer 2024: The engineering team determined that the ceiling collapse was caused by a faulty construction technique from Boscobel’s original restoration in the 1950’s. This ushers in the need to make exploratory holes in all ceilings throughout the House to determine their makeup and stability. The project has officially expanded to the entire house, and an all-hands-on-deck effort kicks off to deinstall all collections objects – from large beds down to curtain ties – storing them in rooms deemed “safe” as those ceilings were redone at some point after the original restoration. 

Fall and Winter 2024: After several engineering reports, it becomes clear that 19 of  Boscobel’s 24 ceilings are at risk and need to be removed immediately. Emergency shoring is quickly installed to temporarily secure the ceilings, and work begins to surgically remove each ceiling. A two-story debris shoot is installed through Boscobel’s grand staircase, exiting out of the iconic Palladian window.  

 

Early 2025: 19 ceilings are surgically removed room by room. With the House completely empty, it provided an unexpected “blank canvas” that has allowed our team to explore new vantage points throughout the rooms, reimagine how these spaces could function and refresh our interpretation as we look towards reopening. Scroll on for the dramatic before and after angles of the House pre-restoration and as it currently stands:

 

 

 

 

Media Inquires

We will update the public on important developments through our website and social media. Please direct media inquiries to communications@boscobel.org.