ASHLAND — When David Musselman first visited the Paramount Arts Center in Ashland he had no idea his job preserving and restoring the intricate details of the building’s interior art would still be keeping him busy nearly three decades later.

Musselman said he had just moved back to Louisville from New York and completed restoration work at the Seelbach Hotel when he was first contacted by people in Ashland working to restore the Paramount to its original luster.

“I know that was 29 years ago because my son was born while I was working here. It seems like yesterday, you know what I mean?” he said Tuesday while gearing up to punch a hole in one of the walls in hopes of determining a source of moisture that has seeped through and caused the plaster walls and art-deco paintings to bubble.

Remembering the state of the Paramount’s murals at that time, Musselman shook his head as he recalled the shellac-covered paintings under a layer of accumulated debris from many years in a building heated by a coal furnace.

“All the paintings were ... you could barely see them they were so dark,” he said, explaining the initial task required careful cleaning, as well as attention to holes in the roof where water was entering the structure.

The original artwork in the lobby of the theater had been painted white before Musselman ever set foot in the building, Removal of the white paint to reveal the original art beneath was a labor-intensive task.

As an artist, Musselman said he was sure he wanted to tackle the restoration work at the Paramount, although he wasn’t sure how much to charge for the job.

“I had no clue on how to bid the job. I just wanted to do it,” he said with a smile.

The artist, who also maintains a studio and gallery on 20th Street in Louisville, recalled the original group of Paramount women he worked with as well-cultured “dynamos,” who wanted a first-class restoration of the old movie theater’s original decor.

Water or moisture seepage is the greatest enemy of painted plaster, Musselman said, explaining his current project inside the theater’s main hall. “There’s some water getting in some spots and we can’t exactly find it. When plaster gets moisture in it, it bubbles and loses strength,” he said. “It only takes a little pin hole and warm air to transfer to the plaster. They have brought all kinds of experts in to figure it out, but nobody ever fixed the problem. The good news is there aren’t many of those spots.”

Musselman laughs as he describes his own efforts to delicately handle a section of damaged plaster followed by Paramount staff member Cindy Collins walking up and rapping on the same section with her fist before declaring it to be solid.

“I’ve been putting off knocking this hole in the wall for five years,” he said, noting Collins’ test gave him confidence in the technique.

Tuesday afternoon’s heavy rain also proved to be a blessing for Musselman, who discovered a section of broken mortar during the storm that is likely allowing water to get inside.

Years of working inside the Paramount have had a profound effect on work, he said.

“This place has influenced my painting. There are such rich colors ... just not like colors that are around today,” Musselman said, later adding he has visited each of the nation’s surviving theaters built by Paramount Studios.

“None of them are like this one. They don’t have the original gold and silver leaf. That was taken out and replaced with ’80s wallpaper,” he said, adding he is amazed the original lights and other fixtures inside Ashland Paramount were not stolen while the building was closed.

Musselman said he has no idea when, if ever, his work at the Paramount will be complete.

“I want to be buried in the rafters up there,” he said with a grin, pointing to the balcony area.

“Just when I think I’m done, I find something else that needs to be done,” he said, pointing to a faded sun pattern in the ceiling he wants to renovate with new paint and silver leaf.

PAC Executive Director Kathy Setterman said anyone who would like to support Musselman’s restoration and maintenance efforts may call her at (606) 324-3175, ext. 306 or at kathys@paramountartscenter.com.

TIM PRESTON can be reached at tpreston@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2651.