In 2026, to mark the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, we are launching a major project: the restoration of the Portrait Gallery.
On May 30, 1975, a devastating fire destroyed two-thirds of the castle’s roof, specifically the triangular section. The upper floors were gutted, and only the ground floor was fully spared, although the ceilings and some of the decorations were damaged by water from the fire hoses.
While the roof structure and roofing were quickly rebuilt thanks to the generous support of the “Friends of Vieilles Maisons françaises,” the interior of the château still needs to be restored.
Our project consists of restoring the room most damaged by the fire : the Portraits Room (17th century). Its ceiling, once adorned with five mounted canvases from the first half of the 17th century depicting allegories, has been waiting fifty years to be reunited with them. Similarly, the paneling and canvases still bear the scars of the fire and the firefighters’ water.
This is a highly symbolic room for the history of the site and the family, as it is decorated with thirteen portraits intended to represent, in chronological order, the castle’s owners from the 13th to the 18th century. The last of the portraits is that of César-François de Chastellux, father of the Chevalier de Chastellux.
The project is therefore divided into three phases :
- 2027 : restoration of the wall and ceiling decorations (paneling);
- 2027-2028 : restoration and reinstallation of the four allegorical ceiling paintings;
- 2028-2029 : restoration of the 13 portraits
We need your support to help us achieve this project.
By supporting this restoration, you help preserve a unique chapter of French-American friendship and Revolutionary history !
François-Jean de Chastellux (1734–1788), one of the castle’s most celebrated counts, served as a Major-General under the Comte de Rochambeau in the French expeditionary force that helped secure American independence.
An intimate friend of George Washington, he served as Major General in Rochambeau’s army and played an important role in the Yorktown campaign, both as advisor to Washington and Rochambeau and as a commander.
Beyond his military career, the Chevalier de Chastellux was a man of the Enlightenment : a member of the Académie française, a friend of Voltaire, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson.
“I can truly say, that never in my life did I part with a Man to whom my soul clave more sincerely than it did to you”
George Washington to François-Jean de Chastellux, 14 December 1782
The French Heritage Society has opened a dedicated fund for our restoration project : click here.
