The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Creator: Freeman, John C. (John Crosby)

Title: Paint Consulting Papers

Dates: ca.1980 - 1997

Call No.: Col. 539

Acc. No.: 96x41 and 98x27

Quantity: 88 Boxes

Location: 33 D 5, E 1-5, F 1, 3-4, G 1-5, H 1

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

John Crosby Freeman was a 1964 graduate of the Winterthur Program in Early American Culture. After graduation, he held a number of different positions, including director of the Yorker Yankee Village Museum, instructor at the University of Victoria, executive director of the American Life Foundation, and editor of Victorian Homes magazine from1967 to 1987. He also wrote a “Color Doctor” column for the magazine, in which he gave advice about paint colors. As director of the American Life Foundation, he ran a design, production, and editorial consulting firm, working with museums and art councils. In 1981, Mr. Freeman helped the Sherwin-Williams Co. develop the “Heritage Color” line of paints. In 1994, he began working as a color design consultant with the Valspar Corporation, in Norristown, Pennsylvania, and helped create its “Southern Heritage” paint colors. He also lectured about choosing colors for Victorian houses and did private consultations for clients, both by mail and on-site.

Mr. Freeman has published works on Gustav Stickley, Mission and Art Nouveau furniture, and Victoriana. He and his wife Judy co-wrote a book on quilts.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The collection contains over 3,500 requests for advice about the use of color, mostly for the exterior of houses. There are some requests for interior color suggestions. Almost all of the people who wrote included color photographs, or sometimes plans, of their houses.

Most of the requests came from a program jointly sponsored by Valspar and Lowe’s, a chain of home improvement stores, in the mid-1990s. Mr. Freeman helped Valspar develop a line of paints called the Southern Heritage colors. Lowe’s sold these paints, and as a promotion invited customers to send photographs of their homes and color preferences to Mr. Freeman. He, in return, was to suggest color schemes that would enhance the appearance of their homes. Mr. Freeman was called the “Color Doctor Who Makes House Calls.” Unfortunately, this collection does not always contain Mr. Freeman’s replies to questions that were sent to him. The people who wrote Mr. Freeman as a result of this promotion owned houses of all ages, old as well as new.

Other letters came from readers of Victorian Homes, a magazine edited by Mr. Freeman and for which he wrote a column about painting. These are mostly requests for suggestions for exterior paint schemes for pre-World War I buildings or questions about the style of a house. Mr. Freeman’s correspondents often gave historical information about their houses, in addition to stating their own color preferences. Photographs were provided, and also, information about the neighborhood or town in which the house is located. As above, Mr. Freeman, unfortunately, rarely retained his responses.

ORGANIZATION

The files are arranged in three groups. Boxes 1-69 contain the requests that Mr. Freeman received as part of the Valspar and Lowe’s promotion of the Southern Heritage paint colors. The requests are arranged by state and then alphabetically by town. Almost all the requests came from the South or the Midwest, very few from the Northeast or the West.

Boxes 70-87 contain the requests that came from readers of Victorian Homes. These are arranged by state, and sometimes by name of towns within a state. A file on Canadian homes follows after the United States files.

Box 88 contains files about lectures, preservation conferences, and miscellaneous clippings, mostly from magazines, and mostly about the preservation of Victorian homes.

RELATED MATERIALS

Additional correspondence of John Crosby Freeman may be found in Col. 539 in the Downs Collection. Books by Freeman are located in the Printed Books and Periodicals section of the library.

PROVENANCE

Gift of John Crosby Freeman.

ACCESS POINTS

Topics: Dwellings – Conservation and preservation

Historic preservation

House painting

Victorian Homes

Lowe’s

Valspar Corp.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 33 D 5, E 1-5, F 1, 3-4, G 1-5, H 1

Series I: Valspar/ Lowes promotion

Box 1

Folder 1 Alabama A - B

Folder 2 Alabama C - D

Folder 3 Alabama D - F

Folder 4 Alabama G - H

Box 2

Folder 1 Alabama H - J

Folder 2 Alabama L - M

Folder 3 Alabama M - N

Folder 4 Alabama O - S

Box 3

Folder 1 Arkansas B - F

Folder 2 Arkansas G - M

Folder 3 Arkansas N - S

Folder 4 Arkansas T - W

Box 4

Folder 1 California and Delaware M, B - W

Folder 2 Delaware N - W

Folder 3 Florida A - C

Folder 4 Florida D - E

Box 5

Folder 1 Florida F

Folder 2 Florida G - K

Folder 3 Florida L

Folder 4 Florida M

Folder 5 Florida N - O

Box 6

Folder 1 Florida O - P

Folder 2 Florida P

Folder 3 Florida P - T

Folder 4 Florida T - Y

Box 7

Folder 1 Georgia A

Folder 2 Georgia A - B

Folder 3 Georgia B - C

Folder 4 Georgia C

Box 8

Folder 1 Georgia D - F

Folder 2 Georgia G - L

Folder 3 Georgia L - M

Folder 4 Georgia N - S

Box 9

Folder 1 Georgia S

Folder 2 Georgia S - V

Folder 3 Georgia W

Box 10

Folder 1 Illinois A - B

Folder 2 Illinois C

Folder 3 Illinois D

Folder 4 Illinois D

Box 11

Folder 1 Illinois E - K

Folder 2 Illinois L - M

Folder 3 Illinois M - N

Folder 4 Illinois P - R

Box 12

Folder 1 Illinois R - S

Folder 2 Illinois S - T

Folder 3 Illinois T - W

Folder 4 Indiana A - B

Folder 5 Indiana B

Box 13

Folder 1 Indiana C

Folder 2 Indiana C - D

Folder 3 Indiana E - F

Folder 4 Indiana F - G

Box 14

Folder 1 Indiana G

Folder 2 Indiana H - I

Folder 3 Indiana I

Folder 4 Indiana I

Box 15

Folder 1 Indiana I - J

Folder 2 Indiana K - L

Folder 3 Indiana M

Folder 4 Indiana M - N

Box 16

Folder 1 Indiana N - P

Folder 2 Indiana R - S

Folder 3 Indiana S - T

Folder 4 Indiana T - Z

Box 17

Folder 1 Iowa B - D

Folder 2 Iowa D - M

Folder 3 Iowa N - W

Folder 4 Kentucky A - E

Box 18

Folder 1 Kentucky F - L

Folder 2 Kentucky L

Folder 3 Kentucky L - M

Folder 4 Kentucky M - O

Box 19

Folder 1 Kentucky O - R

Folder 2 Kentucky S - W

Folder 3 Louisiana A - B

Folder 4 Louisiana B - C

Box 20

Folder 1 Louisiana D - G

Folder 2 Louisiana H - J

Folder 3 Louisiana K - L

Folder 4 Louisiana L

Folder 5 Louisiana M - N

Box 21

Folder 1 Louisiana O - R

Folder 2 Louisiana S

Folder 3 Louisiana S - T

Folder 4 Louisiana V - Z

Box 22

Folder 1 Maine, Maryland W, B

Folder 2 Maryland C - D

Folder 3 Maryland E - G

Folder 4 Maryland G - H

Box 23

Folder 1 Maryland K - O

Folder 2 Maryland P - S

Folder 3 Maryland S - W

Folder 4 Massachusetts, Michigan C - W, A - B

Box 24

Folder 1 Michigan B - D

Folder 2 Michigan E - H

Folder 3 Michigan J - N

Folder 4 Michigan P - W

Folder 5 Minnesota, Mississippi H, A - C

Box 25

Folder 1 Mississippi C -G

Folder 2 Mississippi H - L

Folder 3 Mississippi M - P

Folder 4 Mississippi P - W

Box 26

Folder 1 Missouri A - C

Folder 2 Missouri C - G

Folder 3 Missouri J

Folder 4 Missouri M - S

Box 27:

Folder 1 Missouri S - W

Folder 2 Nebraska, New Jersey W, B -W

New Mexico, New York L, C - V

Folder 3 North Carolina A

Folder 4 North Carolina A

Box 28

Folder 1 North Carolina A

Folder 2 North Carolina B

Folder 3 North Carolina B

Folder 4 North Carolina C

Box 29

Folder 1 North Carolina C

Folder 2 North Carolina C

Folder 3 North Carolina C

Folder 4 North Carolina C

Box 30

Folder 1 North Carolina C

Folder 2 North Carolina C

Folder 3 North Carolina D

Folder 4 North Carolina E - F

Box 31

Folder 1 North Carolina F

Folder 2 North Carolina F

Folder 3 North Carolina G

Folder 4 North Carolina G

Box 32

Folder 1 North Carolina G

Folder 2 North Carolina H

Folder 3 North Carolina H

Folder 4 North Carolina H

Box 33

Folder 1 North Carolina H - J

Folder 2 North Carolina J - K

Folder 3 North Carolina L

Folder 4 North Carolina L

Box 34

Folder 1 North Carolina L - M

Folder 2 North Carolina M

Folder 3 North Carolina M

Folder 4 North Carolina M

Box 35

Folder 1 North Carolina N

Folder 2 North Carolina O - P

Folder 3 North Carolina R

Folder 4 North Carolina R

Box 36

Folder 1 North Carolina R

Folder 2 North Carolina R

Folder 3 North Carolina S

Folder 4 North Carolina S

Box 37

Folder 1 North Carolina S

Folder 2 North Carolina S

Folder 3 North Carolina T - V

Folder 4 North Carolina W

Box 38

Folder 1 North Carolina W

Folder 2 North Carolina W

Folder 3 North Carolina W

Folder 4 North Carolina W - Z

Box 39

Folder 1 Ohio A

Folder 2 Ohio B

Folder 3 Ohio B - C

Folder 4 Ohio C

Box 40

Folder 1 Ohio C

Folder 2 Ohio C

Folder 3 Ohio C

Folder 4 Ohio D

Box 41

Folder 1 Ohio D

Folder 2 Ohio D

Folder 3 Ohio D - E

Folder 4 Ohio E - F

Box 42

Folder 1 Ohio F

Folder 2 Ohio F - G

Folder 3 Ohio G

Folder 4 Ohio J

Box 43

Folder 1 Ohio J - L

Folder 2 Ohio L - M

Folder 3 Ohio M

Folder 4 Ohio M

Box 44

Folder 1 Ohio N

Folder 2 Ohio N

Folder 3 Ohio N

Folder 4 Ohio O - P

Box 45

Folder 1 Ohio R - S

Folder 2 Ohio S

Folder 3 Ohio S

Folder 4 Ohio T - U

Box 46

Folder 1 Ohio U - V

Folder 2 Ohio W

Folder 3 Ohio W

Folder 4 Ohio W

Box 47

Folder 1 Ohio X - Z

Folder 2 Oklahoma A - E

Folder 3 Oklahoma G - M

Folder 4 Oklahoma N - S

Folder 5 Oklahoma S - T

Box 48

Folder 1 Pennsylvania A

Folder 2 Pennsylvania A - B

Folder 3 Pennsylvania B

Folder 4 Pennsylvania C

Box 49

Folder 1 Pennsylvania C - D

Folder 2 Pennsylvania D - E

Folder 3 Pennsylvania F - G

Folder 4 Pennsylvania H

Box 50

Folder 1 Pennsylvania I - L

Folder 2 Pennsylvania L - M

Folder 3 Pennsylvania M

Folder 4 Pennsylvania M - N

Box 51

Folder 1 Pennsylvania N - P

Folder 2 Pennsylvania P - R

Folder 3 Pennsylvania R - S

Folder 4 Pennsylvania S

Box 52

Folder 1 Pennsylvania S

Folder 2 Pennsylvania T - V

Folder 3 Pennsylvania V - W

Folder 4 Pennsylvania W - Z

Box 53

Folder 1 Rhode Island, South Carolina C, A - B

Folder 2 South Carolina C

Folder 3 South Carolina C

Folder 4 South Carolina C - F

Box 54

Folder 1 South Carolina G

Folder 2 South Carolina G - H

Folder 3 South Carolina I - L

Folder 4 South Carolina M

Box 55

Folder 1 South Carolina M - P

Folder 2 South Carolina Q - S

Folder 3 South Carolina S

Folder 4 South Carolina S

Box 56

Folder 1 South Carolina S - U

Folder 2 South Dakota, Tennessee P, A - B

Folder 3 Tennessee C

Folder 4 Tennessee C

Box 57

Folder 1 Tennessee C - F

Folder 2 Tennessee G - H

Folder 3 Tennessee H - J

Folder 4 Tennessee J - K

Box 58

Folder 1 Tennessee K - L

Folder 2 Tennessee M - N

Folder 3 Tennessee N - R

Folder 4 Tennessee S

Box 59

Folder 1 Tennessee S - W

Folder 2 Texas A

Folder 3 Texas B

Folder 4 Texas C - D

Box 60

Folder 1 Texas D - H

Folder 2 Texas H - L

Folder 3 Texas L

Folder 4 Texas L - N

Box 61

Folder 1 Texas P - S

Folder 2 Texas T - V

Folder 3 Texas V - W

Folder 4 Virginia A - B

Box 62

Folder 1 Virginia B - C

Folder 2 Virginia C

Folder 3 Virginia C

Folder 4 Virginia C - E

Box 63

Folder 1 Virginia F - G

Folder 2 Virginia G - H

Folder 3 Virginia H - J

Folder 4 Virginia L

Box 64

Folder 1 Virginia M

Folder 2 Virginia M

Folder 3 Virginia M - O

Folder 4 Virginia P

Box 65

Folder 1 Virginia P

Folder 2 Virginia R

Folder 3 Virginia R

Folder 4 Virginia R

Box 66

Folder 1 Virginia R - S

Folder 2 Virginia S

Folder 3 Virginia S - T

Folder 4 Virginia V

Box 67

Folder 1 Virginia W – Y

Folder 2 Washington, West Virginia B, A - B

Folder 3 West Virginia B

Folder 4 West Virginia B

Box 68

Folder 1 West Virginia C – F

Folder 2 West Virginia G - H

Folder 3 West Virginia H – M

Folder 4 West Virginia M – P

Box 69

Folder 1 West Virginia P

Folder 2 West Virginia R - S

Folder 3 West Virginia, Wisconsin S – W, J

Series II: Victorian Homes requests

Box 70

Folder 1 Alabama and Arkansas

Folder 2 California

Folder 3 California

Folder 4 California

Folder 5 California

Folder 6 California: Palo Alto

Folder 7 Colorado

Folder 8 Connecticut

Box 71

Folder 1 Connecticut: Orange

Folder 2 Connecticut: Ridgefield

Folder 3 Connecticut: Westport

Folder 4 Delaware

Folder 5 Florida

Folder 6 Georgia

Folder 7 Idaho

Folder 8 Illinois

Folder 9 Illinois

Folder 10 Illinois

Folder 11 Illinois

Folder 12 Illinois

Folder 13 Illinois

Box 72

Folder 1 Indiana

Folder 2 Indiana: New Palestine

Folder 3 Indiana: Shelbyville

Folder 4 Iowa

Folder 5 Kansas

Folder 6 Kentucky

Box 73

Folder 1 Kentucky: Lawrenceburg

Folder 2 Kentucky: Lexington

Folder 3 Louisiana

Folder 4 Maine

Folder 5 Maine: Peaks Island

Folder 6 Maryland

Folder 7 Maryland

Folder 8 Massachusetts

Box 74

Folder 1 Massachusetts

Folder 2 Massachusetts

Folder 3 Massachusetts

Folder 4 Massachusetts

Folder 5 Massachusetts: Brookline

Folder 6 Massachusetts: Lynnfield

Folder 7 Massachusetts: Lynnfield

Folder 8 Massachusetts: Tyngsboro

Folder 9 Michigan

Box 75

Folder 1 Michigan

Folder 2 Minnesota

Folder 3 Minnesota

Folder 4 Minnesota: Excelsior

Folder 5 Minnesota: St. Paul

Folder 6 Mississippi

Folder 7 Missouri

Folder 8 Missouri: St. Louis

Folder 9 Montana

Folder 10 Nebraska

Box 76

Folder 1 New Hampshire

Folder 2 New Jersey

Folder 3 New Jersey

Folder 4 New Jersey: zip codes 070

Folder 5 New Jersey: zip codes 070

Folder 6 New Jersey: zip codes 070

Folder 7 New Jersey: Cape May

Box 77

Folder 1 New Jersey: Cape May

Folder 2 New Jersey: Cape May

Folder 3 New Jersey: Cape May

Folder 4 New Jersey: Flemington

Folder 5 New Jersey: Haddonfield

Folder 6 New Jersey: Haddonfield

Folder 7 New Jersey: Haddonfield

Folder 8 New Jersey: Haddonfield

Folder 9 New Jersey: Lambertville

Folder 10 New Jersey: Lambertville

Folder 11 New Jersey: Lambertville

Folder 12 New Jersey: Manasquan

Folder 13 New Jersey: Oldwick

Folder 14 New Jersey: Pennington

Folder 15 New Jersey: Plainfield

Folder 16 New Jersey: Ridgefield Park

Folder 17 New Jersey: Ridgewood

Folder 18 New Jersey: Ridgewood

Box 78

Folder 1 New Jersey: South Orange

Folder 2 New Jersey: Upper Montclare

Folder 3 New Jersey: Upper Montclare

Folder 4 New Jersey: Wenonah

Folder 5 New Jersey: West End

Folder 6 New Jersey: Woodbury

Folder 7 New York

Folder 8 New York

Folder 9 New York: zip codes 120 and 130

Folder 10 New York: zip codes 120 and 130

Box 79

Folder 1 New York: zip codes 120 and 130

Folder 2 New York: zip codes 140

Folder 3 New York: zip codes 140

Folder 4 New York: zip codes 140

Folder 5 New York: Cazenovia

Folder 6 New York: Dundee

Folder 7 New York: Elmira

Folder 8 New York: Franklin

Folder 9 New York: Goshen

Folder 10 New York: Grandview-on-Hudson

Folder 11 New York: Highland

Folder 12 New York: Johnstown

Box 80

Folder 1 New York: Katonah

Folder 2 New York: Katonah

Folder 3 New York: Katonah

Folder 4 New York: Katonah Historic District

Folder 5 New York: Lancaster

Folder 6 New York: Lima

Folder 7 New York: Ossining

Folder 8 New York: Peekskill

Folder 9 New York: Peekskill

Folder 10 New York: Rockville Centre

Folder 11 New York: Sidney

Folder 12 New York: Yonkers

Box 81

Folder 1 North Carolina

Folder 2 North Carolina: Blowing Rock

Folder 3 North Carolina: Blowing Rock

Folder 4 North Carolina: Durham

Folder 5 North Dakota

Folder 6 North Dakota: Fargo

Folder 7 North Dakota: La Moure

Folder 8 Ohio

Folder 9 Ohio

Box 82

Folder 1 Ohio

Folder 2 Ohio: zip codes 43

Folder 3 Ohio: zip codes 43

Folder 4 Ohio: zip codes 45

Folder 5 Ohio: Cleveland Heights

Folder 6 Ohio: Findlay

Folder 7 Ohio: Grand Rapids

Folder 8 Ohio: Hudson

Folder 9 Oklahoma

Box 83

Folder 1 Oregon

Folder 2 Pennsylvania: zip codes 15

Folder 3 Pennsylvania: zip codes 16

Folder 4 Pennsylvania: zip codes 17

Folder 5 Pennsylvania: zip codes 18

Folder 6 Pennsylvania: zip codes 19

Box 84

Folder 1 Pennsylvania: zip codes 19

Folder 2 Pennsylvania: zip codes 19

Folder 3 Pennsylvania: Altoona

Folder 4 Pennsylvania: Bedford Springs

Folder 5 Pennsylvania: Bedford Springs

Folder 6 Pennsylvania: Bethlehem

Folder 7 Pennsylvania: Carnegie

Folder 8 Pennsylvania: Coburn

Folder 9 Pennsylvania: Devon

Folder 10 Pennsylvania: Dowingtown

Folder 11 Pennsylvania: Doylestown

Folder 12 Pennsylvania: Gulph Mills

Folder 13 Pennsylvania: Haverford

Folder 14 Pennsylvania: Jim Thorpe

Folder 15 Pennsylvania: Langhorne

Folder 16 Pennsylvania: Lansdowne

Folder 17 Pennsylvania: Lansdowne

Box 85

Folder 1 Pennsylvania: Lansdowne

Folder 2 Pennsylvania: Lansdowne

Folder 3 Pennsylvania: New Hope

Folder 4 Pennsylvania: New Hope

Folder 5 Pennsylvania: Philadelphia, Media, Wayne

Folder 6 Pennsylvania: Phoenixville

Folder 7 Pennsylvania: Pottstown

Folder 8 Pennsylvania: Pottstown

Folder 9 Pennsylvania: Pottstown

Folder 10 Pennsylvania: Red Hill

Folder 11 Pennsylvania: St. Davids

Folder 12 Pennsylvania: St. Davids

Folder 13 Pennsylvania: Sayre

Folder 14 Pennsylvania: Sayre

Folder 15 Pennsylvania: Sayre

Folder 16 Pennsylvania: Summerhill

Folder 17 Pennsylvania: Swarthmore

Folder 18 Pennsylvania: Towanda

Folder 19 Pennsylvania: Villanova

Folder 20 Pennsylvania: Washington Crossing

Folder 21 Pennsylvania: Wayne

Folder 22 Pennsylvania: Wayne

Folder 23 Pennsylvania: West Chester

Folder 24 Pennsylvania: West Lawn

Folder 25 Pennsylvania: Wyalusing

Folder 26 Pennsylvania: Wyncote

Box 86

Folder 1 Pennsylvania: Wyncote

Folder 2 Rhode Island

Folder 3 South Carolina

Folder 4 South Dakota

Folder 5 Tennessee

Folder 6 Texas

Folder 7 Texas

Folder 8 Utah

Folder 9 Vermont

Folder 10 Vermont: Ludlow

Folder 11 Virginia

Folder 12 Virginia

Box 87

Folder 1 Washington

Folder 2 West Virginia

Folder 3 West Virginia: Shepherdstown

Folder 4 West Virginia: Shepherdstown

Folder 5 Wisconsin

Folder 6 Wisconsin

Folder 7 Wisconsin: Milwaukee

Folder 8 Wisconsin: Milwaukee

Folder 9 Wisconsin: Oregon

Folder 10 Canada: Quebec: Sherbrook

Series III: Miscellaneous

Box 88

Folder 1 Peggy Hart Earl, Ed Shull, Bill Westhafer

Folder 2 “Historic Houses in Haddonfield, N.J.: a Preservation Guide”

Folder 3 Preservation League of New York, conference 1992

Folder 4 Preservation League of New York, conference 1992