The restoration of a house such as Adena is a complex and multi-faceted project.

When houses become museums, curators and historians face the complex task of returning the house back to its appearance during the time of its primary historical importance.

Houses are like living things: they change over time. Rather, the people who live in them change them to make the house more suited to their lives.

Following the Smith family ownership of Adena, staff from the Ohio Historical Society researched and restored the mansion from 1946 to 1953.

Fifty years later, from 1997 to 2003, staff from the Ohio Historical Society again researched and restored the mansion.

The first restoration was carefully done and especially noteworthy for generally returning the house to its original floor plan. The second restoration brought to Adena new approaches, especially in finishes and decorations, based on new technology and sources. These sources and techniques are explored in the restoration section of the website.