Lancaster Amish quilt, Center Square pattern, c. 1895. Machine assembled and hand-quilted.
Top: Twill-weave wool.
Back: Soft red twill-weave cotton.
Quilting: Dark-colored thread used in fine regular stitches. Inner square is filled with a large feather wreath with surrounding areas in waffle. Inner border has diamond quilting with a pumpkin seed flower within each. Outer border is filled with scrolling feathers and scalloping along its inner edge.
Blue 1" binding is machine sewn front and back.
Provenance
Esprit purchased from an unknown seller for $3.800 in April 1978.
Lancaster Amish quilt is a Center Square pattern, c. 1895. Machine joined; finely quilted with black thread.
Top: Twill-weave wools. Center is brown, 38" wide, pieced with one large piece and 5" strip at one side made of four smaller pieces. Inner border is medium blue, 4" wide. Outer border is dark olive green, 14" wide. Binding is medium blue, 1 1/2" wide, machine stitched to both back and front.
Back: Brown twill-weave wool with a narrow panel pieced at both sides of cinnamon brown sateen cotton.
Batting: Lightweight, either cotton or wool.
Quilting: Outer border filled with a gracefully curved scrolling feather. Inner border has 4-petal "pumpkin seed" flowers surrounded by a geometric diamond pattern. The 4 "pumpkin seed" shapes of these flowers slant sideways, creating a more dynamic feel. Center square has concentric feather rings with the center filled with a scallop-edged circle of waffle quilting. Outside corners are also filled with waffle quilting.
Provenance
Esprit purchased from Gaye N. Delling of Evergreen, CO in April of 1989 for $6,500.
Very dark liquid stains sprinkled mostly along one side of outer border; light liquid stains sprinkled elsewhere. Some liquid ate through fabric resulting in tiny holes mostly around outer border; cluster of holes near one corner of quilt has one larger hole of about 1/2" diameter.
Detailed 1989 condition report by conservator Linnea Davis in file: old repairs of holes and stains at outer border. Binding is faded with tack holes.
Lancaster Amish quilt is a Center Square pattern, c. 1895. Finely quilted w/ symmetry & precision. Assembled by machine and hand-quilted with brown cotton thread.
Top: Twill- and plain-weave wool. Center square of teal is 34 inches wide. Inner border (4 1/4" wide) is green and wide outer border (16" wide) is red. Faded blue binding is 1 1/4" wide.
Quilting: Same patterns, but differs slightly from the quilting of the previous two Center Square quilts. The large scrolls of the feather pattern of the outer border create compressed oval shapes rather than the conventional circular shapes. Scallops along the inner edge. Inner border has straight feather quilting. At one side of inner border is a significant gap between the feather ends, filled with a 5/8"-diameter ring. Center Square has a large, thin feather wreath. Waffle quilting fills inside and outside of wreath; scallops at both inside and outside edges of waffle quilting.
Provenance
Esprit purchased from Phyllis Haders of New York and Mystic, Conn., May 1984 for $9,000.
Overall fading. Outer border has multiple holes from about 1/2" x 1/4" big to 1/8" dia. that have been repaired by filling with similar twill fabric. Much of this border has pronounced discoloration/stains/soil and large areas are threadbare. Binding is significantly deteriorated with multiple breaks, fraying and small holes. Crepeline support added to bindings in 1985 and velcro on tape attached. Due to deterioration, removed velcro & crepeline in 1990, examined and replaced w/ new velcro on tape and some patches of crepeline. See condition reports in file.
Quilt of hand pieced cottons in a pattern of nine blocks with a star variant, finely quilted. Nine large blocks in centerfield, each with a large radiating 8-point star composed of diamonds, done with a calico of white polka dots on blue ground. Sashing made with narrow diamonds. Sawtooth border. Cotton batting, now in clumps. Calico binding of white stars on blue, hand sewn to front, wrapped and hand stitched to back.
Hand quilted in white. Stars have concentric circles and white corner patches have feather wreath with a pinwheel center. Smaller white triangles around stars have diamond pattern.
Several brown stains on front. Back shows areas of stains and one brownish yellow acid-burned section (when folded). At least three areas of pieced back have 1-1.5" holes or deterioration. Binding is detaching, fraying and tearing at front, 20" from corner. A seam of binding at back is separating. Cotton batting is separated and clumped from laundering.
Object ID
G.84.05.1
Place of Origin
Lancaster County
Credit
Gift of Henry J. Kauffman, Heritage Center Collection
Crazy quilt with nine blocks of crazy quilt patches of silks, satins, etc.. Of significance is a ribbon in upper middle block reading: "1854. / Chestnut Hill / ACADEMY / Reunion / 1876." Extensive decorative embroidery on seams as well as some extending into center of patches. Some ribbons are appliqued with decorative embroidery stitches only. Two blue ribbon bows also applied. Eight-inch-wide border of red velvet with mitered corners is a replacement as well as red satin floral weave back. This same red satin is used as a very thin edging around crazy quilt blocks. Binding also formed by backing brought forward.
Quilt made by donor's grandmother Harriet E. L. Alexander who was born in Cecil County, MD. and lived in Rock Spring, MD. Her parents were Robert Levis and Amanda Mullin; father operated a paper mill at Walnut Hill, Md. She apparently attended Chestnut Hill Academy in Colerain Twp, in early 1860s(?). She then met her future husband, Vincent King Alexander, while both were attending Millersville Normal School.
Maker's daughter May Jackson reportedly replaced the border and back. Thus, only the 9 blocks are original. See NOTES
Trish Herr believes the quilt has a Quaker look to it, especially due to its wide borders.
Southern Lancaster Co.
Provenance
Maker to daughter May C.A. Jackson (1875-1903) who "refurbished" quilt before giving to her daughter Helen Jackson (1912- ? , married 3 times) according to Anna S. Alexander (donor's sister-in-law). Helen gave quilt to her cousin John S. Alexander (donor).
Note in file indicates backing was replaced c. 1960.
Scattered deteriorating patches. Most have shredding or splitting. One in middle block of top row is brittle and broken with extensive losses. See condition report in file. Border and back have been replaced.
Object ID
G.96.22.1
Notes
Ribbon pertains most likely to the Chestnut Hill Seminary of Andrews Bridge, Colerain Twp., 1854-1877, run by Thomas Baker. The 1854 initial year of operation matches the date on the ribbon. Biographical Annals has a bio of Baker pp. 497-97, noting his teaching and surveying professions. A Bio of Hon. Marriott Brosius (1843-1901), p. 17, states his early education was in the "Octoraro and Chestnut Hill Academies under the tutorage of the veteran teacher, Thomas Baker..."
Place of Origin
Lancaster County
Role
Quiltmaker
Credit
Gift of John S. Alexander, Heritage Center Collection
