Some paint jobs are about refreshing or changing color, this one wasn’t!
The Bellamy Mansion isn’t just another home in Wilmington-it’s one of the most recognized historic properties in the area. A place people visit, walk through, and experience every day. So, when it came time to repaint it, this wasn’t about speed or convenience… It was about getting it right!
How This Project Even Happened
This didn’t start with a bid request or a formal meeting, it started with a yard sale (yes, you read that right).
My wife and I had just rented a new office and warehouse space, and we were out looking for pieces to furnish it. We saw that the Bellamy Mansion was having a yard sale, so we stopped by.
We ended up buying a desk. While one of the caretakers was helping us load it, he noticed the logo on our truck and asked about it. We told him we owned a painting company.
He said, “We’ve actually been looking for someone to paint the mansion.”
I remember pointing back at the house and asking,
“That mansion?”
He said yes. (Holding a solid poker face, but jumping out of my own skin) I replied, “GREAT! Let’s set up a time to go over the details get some quotes put together!”
That was April of 2023.
What followed wasn’t a quick turnaround-it was about a year and a half of planning, coordinating, fundraising, grant work, and working through the proper channels to make the project happen when the time was right.
Finally in August of 2024, we were given the green light for the project to be completed before November of that year. We executed and completed the painting in October of 2024 with a team of five painters.
The Reality of a 160+ Year-Old Structure
The Bellamy Mansion was built in the late 1850s and completed in the 1860s.
Since then, it’s had countless hands on it-repairs, repaints, different products, different eras.
Over time, that adds up…
We weren’t working with one clean, consistent surface. We were working over layers of:
- Lime wash
- Lead-based coatings
- Milk paints
- Oil-based paints
- Modern latex products
All applied at different times, in different ways, with different levels of prep.
The challenge wasn’t just painting it, it was bringing consistency back to the surface so it could age properly moving forward.
The Approach: Not a Show Car… but a High-End Daily Driver
When I explain historic projects to homeowners, I use this analogy:
Imagine pulling a classic car out of a junkyard.
You’ve got three options:
- Do the bare minimum-maybe change the oil, gas it up, get it running and hope for the best
- Tear it completely apart and rebuild it into a showroom piece
- Or restore it properly so it runs strong, looks great, and holds up over time
That third option-the high-end daily driver-is what we did with the Bellamy.
We didn’t strip it down to bare wood.
But we also didn’t just paint over problems.
We:
- Removed all loose and failing paint
- Cleaned and stabilized the surface
- Sealed and primed the entire structure
- Applied a full, consistent coating system across the all paintable surfaces
The goal was simple – make it look amazing right now-and age properly and evenly over time.
The Challenges Most People Never See
Tens of Thousands of Bees!!
Before we could even start, there was a major issue, a large honey bee colony living within the structure. Not a few bees-tens of thousands!
That required:
- Coordinating safe relocation
- Working with specialists
- Making sure the structure wasn’t compromised
No paint goes on until something like that is handled correctly.
Four Stories of Scaffolding
To access the building properly, we installed four full stories of scaffolding.
This wasn’t optional-it was necessary for:
- Safe working conditions
- Detailed prep work
- Consistent application across all elevations
100-Foot Boom Lift Access
Even with scaffolding, certain areas required additional reach.
We used a 100-foot boom lift to safely access difficult sections without risking damage to the structure or surrounding areas.
Open to the Public the Entire Time
The Bellamy didn’t shut down for this project.
It remained open for tours the entire time.
That meant:
- Working around visitors daily
- Keeping the site clean and safe
- Managing workflow without disrupting the experience
We weren’t just painting-we were working in a live, public environment.
The Scale of the Project
This wasn’t a small job.
It took:
- A dedicated team of 5 painters
- Careful coordination over weeks of production
- Over 280 gallons of product to complete
Every step had to be intentional.
What This Project Really Represents
Anyone can paint a house.
But not every company can:
- Navigate a year-and-a-half planning process
- Work on a historically significant structure
- Adapt to unexpected challenges
- Execute at a high level under public visibility
That’s the difference!
Final Thoughts:
Projects like the Bellamy Mansion are a reminder that painting-when done right-is a lot more than just applying paint.
- It’s understanding history.
- It’s solving problems.
- It’s executing with precision.
And when it’s done well, most people will never see what it took to get there.
They’ll just see the result.
Want a Team That Can Handle More Than Just “Painting”?
Whether it’s a historic property, a high-end home, or a project that requires real planning and execution-we’re built for it.
