Restoration & Legacy
The modern Ridgeway story is one of painstaking restoration, archival curiosity, and the decision to keep the house alive through use rather than stasis.
The Birkhead family’s stewardship of Ridgeway began in 1977 and grew into decades of restoration, research, and patient care. The house’s survival was not the result of a single renovation campaign, but of recurring effort: stripping paint, replastering walls, repairing roofs, refinishing mantels, organizing archives, and addressing the continuing needs of a two-century-old home.
The restoration combined scholarship with material care. Paint analysis, comparisons with other Federal houses, and consultation with specialists informed practical decisions about color, finish, and furnishing. The result was not a museum reconstruction, but a lived restoration grounded in evidence and affection.
Preservation is never finally complete. Roofs need repair, plaster and masonry require attention, trees and utilities need care, and every restored surface eventually demands work again. Stewardship is repetitive and costly. It requires deep knowledge and a recognition that this is a continuing commitment rather than a finished project.
Today, the family continues that commitment, preserving Ridgeway through both careful maintenance and active use. Its rooms, atmosphere, and stories carry the legacy of decades of devoted work, while welcoming new gatherings ensures that the house remains a living part of the community.