The John Marshall Foundation and Preservation Virginia are partnering to salvage and conserve the only known surviving robe of former U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall.

The two groups kicked off a $218,000 “Save the Robe” fundraising campaign this week, amid Tuesday’s Constitution Day festivities. Marshall. who served as the fourth chief justice of the United States, began the habit of wearing a black robe that became the standard for Supreme Court justices, but the garment he first wore in 1801 needs special attention “due to acid hydrolysis from the dye and iron mordant used to achieve its deep shade of black,” according to the campaign organizers.