Floral applique block quilt of cotton. Sixteen 15" floral applique blocks of flowers on white ground. Flowers have blooms of various greens & browns appliqued together to create two different designs that alternate block by block. Flowers branch out in curves with leaves of black & green print and intricate flower buds.
Sashing, 2.5" wide, separates blocks with white strips edged with thin green strips. Inner border of 1-inch wide brown strip encloses blocks. In large outer border of white with mitered corners are graceful grapevines of grape clusters, leaves of the same green & black print as leaves in centerfield,and tendrils of chain stitch embroidery. Wide red binding w/ mitered corners wraps to back and is hand stitched. White cotton back of four panels. Thin cotton batting.
Hand-quilted with a grid in centerfield except for bold cable that is superimposed on sashing and brown inner border. Outer border has slanting parallel lines. One distinctive round flower 2.5" in diameter with 10 petals is found in outer border near one corner, near edge.
Card originally sewn on quilt (handwritten in ink): "Quilt made by Rebecca Rynard of Line Lexington Penna. 90 yrs ago - it has taken many 1st prizes at the State Fairs in both Montgomery Co & Bucks Co - Penna." Below is "Property of M.D.S. Elwell 524 Cedar Lane Swarthmore(?)"
Provenance
Wheatland record states history of ownership is unknown between maker and donor. Research shows most Rynards lived in Cumberland Co.
Soil and multiple scattered stains overall, esp. on back. Significant holes on front. Wide binding is worn at edge and fraying. Many seams deteriorating and separated.
All cotton quilt, Lone Star pattern composed of pieced diamond prints on a white ground, itself pieced with many sections. Appliqued swags and beefy 8-point stars in outer border. White binding applied and hand-stitched back and front.
REFURBISHED: Lone Star, swags and small stars were later covered with appliqued solid pink cotton, apparently meant to salvage a quilt suffering from deteriorated original prints. Original printed fabrics underneath still visible along many edges of pink overlay. No quilting done on pink overlay.
Provenance
Found in Wheatland's collection with no identification.
Pink applique is a later "repair" covering all areas of original printed fabric used in lone star, swags and small stars. Original pieced prints visible through the pink overlay and are in unknown condition; presumed to be worn. Overall soil and browning from sun and acid burn. One-inch hole near swag; other scattered holes as well.
Object ID
2016.999.1
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Quilt made to commemorate the United States Bicentennial by students of Frances Sears' 5th grade class at Wickersham Elementary. Students selected topics for their quilt squares. THey then researched designed, and created their squares. Ms. Sears created a scrapbook to document the project (part of Archives colelction).
All cotton quilt, on point blocks have pieced 8-point star blocks that alternate with blocks of a woven pattern blue with a grid of white lines. Stars are small scale floral print of pink with tiny white flowers. White ground is a very loose weave composed of multiple pieced panels. White outside border is 11" wide on one end and 7.5" wide on the other three.
Hand-quilted with white thread in a small scale grid aligned with blocks.
Back is a loose weave arranged with wide strips of white alternating with strips of a large, bold red print of branches and large flowers. Six white strips are 8.5 - 9" wide; 5 printed strips and 7.5" wide. Back is brought forward to front to created binding. Thin battiing.
Inscription: On front quilt corner is "HM6? handwritten in ink.
Overall fading and deterioration, especially in pink floral print which is consistently riddled with small holes where white flowers have deteriorated. Some small holes in blue fabric, 1/8"-1/4" big with fraying. General soil, scattered stains and acid burn, especially at fold lines and borders, as well as sections of back..
Quilt of cotton has 9-Patch pattern blocks on point. Sashing separates the 9-patch blocks. All white except the 5 patches of printed cottons in each 9-patch block. Print colors include red, brown, tan, pink, white, yellow and blue. Narrow outer border is 3.5" wide. Cotton batting. Very narrow binding is the white back rolled around to front and hand stitched.
Hand quilted in white thread. Undulating feather throughout border, cable in all sashing and unusual, large, 4-leaf motif in 9-patch block has oval leaves extending from center print into the 4 corner prints.
Side-by-side Inscriptions in one corner are "JO4" (?) handwritten in ink and "K214" stamped. Likely owners' marks.
Overall wear and fading. Deterioration to many of the cotton prints, with small holes, large holes and strong losses. Blood stain with hole is 3/4" in size. Scattered dark stains on top and especially on back that have appearance of foxing. Several sections along quilt edge - front and back - have dye transfer from a printed fabric caused by moisture.
Framed Center white cotton quilt has pieced work as well as appliqued cut-out images from an English block-printed cotton chintz that dates from the 1780s. This applique technique (here using colorful birds and branches) is known as "broderie perse" or Persian embroidery.
Center medallion has two birds of prey and flowering branches. Inner border is defined by sawtooth applique of chintz. Outer border continues with broderie perse applique of flowering branches and smaller exotic birds resembling peacocks with long trailing tails.
Quilting patterns: undulating feather in outside border with filled-in areas of waffle and vine-and-berry. Center has vine-and-berry with waffle. Inner border has a rope pattern.
Quilt has white cotton back and cotton batting.
Possibly Northeastern Lancaster County.
Provenance
Quilt was purchased by the Dykes in East or West Cocalico Twp.
Very good overall. Light brown liquid stains, especially in right center area. sprinking of small light brown stains overall.
Object ID
P.77.35.1
Notes
See "Quilts in America" by P. & B. Orlofsky (cover and p.225) for a c. 1803 quilt with this appliqued print. Label states this chintz print was "cut out of a 1780s English block-printed chintz of the type favored in England and France at that time and very popular in American quilts in the late 18th and early 19th centuries."
See also Weissman and Lavitt, "Labors of Love", p. 42.
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
Quilt, pieced top of silk octagons, cotton batting, dark green velvet backing, tied (not quilted) with green yarns. Pieced top only was made by Marianna Gibbons while living at her farm, Beechdale, just north of Bird-in-Hand. Octagonal patches made Dec. 18, 1893 to March 17, 1894, except for final embroidered center patch. Quilt top likely completed soon after, during 1894. but definitely before her 1902 marriage to Oram David Brubaker (1862-1929), since she used intials MG instead of MGB.
Top has 25 blocks, each with 25 octagons. Each 8 1/2-inch block uses different silk fabrics; solids, prints and velvets. The 25 blocks are separated by an inner sash of dark green ribbed fabric, 1 1/2" wide. Only the squares at the intersections of the sashes are different, a midnight blue velvet (although many are worn off to show a black fabric backing). Outer border is dark green silk 4 1/2" wide and mitered at the corners. Center block containing alternating yellow and black octagons has the embroidered initials "MG" in center and the remaining yellow ones are embroidered with flowers.
Provenance
Provenance: Descent in Brubaker family to step-granddaughter Margaret Thompson Herr (donor's cousin). When Margaret died, donor acquired the quilt at the circa 1980 estate sale in Quarryville for ten dollars. Donor is also a step-granddaughter of maker.
Donor states that at some point before she bought the quilt, "church ladies" had put a pale green, quilted backing on it and secured it with ties. It had not been finished by Marianna Gibbons. Donor eventually replaced it during the 1980s with something more to her taste -- the present backing of dark green polyester velvet. It is secured at the corners of each of the 25 blocks with ties knotted at the back.
History: Donor reports that the Dr. Joseph and Phebe Earle Gibbons family were Quakers and their farm, Beechdale, was a primary station on the Underground Railroad. (The house itself is now gone, and the farm is now a horse farm.) Jack Brubaker (the Scribbler) owns the diaries of Marianna and her mother. The donor has worked on transcribing the diaries for years. Both women were well educated and accomplished. Marianna earned two degrees at Millersville Normal School in 1871 and 1872, was a writer, was well travelled and lectured with the temperance movement (W.C.T.U.). After Marianna completed the quilt, she married in 1902 a widower who was 14 years her junior, with 9 children aged 6 - 19. Oram David Brubaker & children came to live on his new wife's farm since she had a large farm and greater wealth. With trees and water, the 56-acre farm became a duck farm.
Generally very good. Some silk octagons are deteriorating and some velvet has lost its nap. The quilt had been finished by "church ladies" at some time while owned by Margaret T. Herr. Donor disliked it so replaced it with a polyester velvet in the 1980s. Small bleach spot on outer border.
Object ID
G.03.18.1
Place of Origin
Bird-in-Hand, East Lampeter Twp.
Role
Quiltmaker
Credit
Gift of Marian Brubaker, Heritage Center Collection
Signature quilt presumably made for the marriage of John L. Shot / Ghot (unknown) and Fannie Gish (24 January 1835 - 26 February 1916), by friends and family in Rapho and Mount Joy Twp. area. The Gish family were Mennonite farmers & are buried in Keener Cemetery, Manheim -- including "Fannie M. Gish" (name not changed to Shot). Marriage apparently did not occur and she continued to live in parents' home through old age, always listed as single.
Pieced top of printed cottons in red, green and yellow, except for white signature blocks. There are 25 blocks of varying prints pieced into a geometric floral design. At center of each is a 3.75" square of white cotton with a name in cursive done in running stitch with red thread. At top left, the square reads: "John. L. Shot (or Ghot) / Fannie Gish/ was made in/ the year/ 1854." Outer border and sashing are the same printed fabric of green and yellow.
Back is a red and pink cotton print, wrapped to front to create a self-binding. Cotton batting.
Provenance
Purchased by Herrs Antiques (Trish) in 1990 from the estate of John Getz (1901-1986), Pitt St., in Manheim. Family members believed his wife, Sue Gish Ober Getz, was the granddaughter of Fannie Gish, but research instead identifies Peter and Mary Nissley Gish as Sue's grandparents. Quilt recipient Fannie Gish remained single with no known issue. Quilt likely descended within the Gish family to John and Sue Getz and due to its excellent condition, seems to have never been used.
Very good condition; used little if at all. White squares show light brown staining.
Object ID
P.90.02
Notes
A John Schott was found who was born in France on 1 Aug 1793 and died in Marietta 10 Oct 1860. He is buried in the Marietta Union Meeting House Cemetery.
Place of Origin
Mount Joy Twp. and Rapho Twp.
Credit
Generosity of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
Friendship quilt of white cotton, both top and back, with names of church members handwritten on it. Nine-patch variation blocks on point are made of dark red and white and alternate with white blocks. Dark red fabric has a small-scale print of flowering vine in black. Outside border is 7.5" wide on all four sides. Little or no batting; narrow binding is back brought forward. Quilt patterns includes triple cable in border with variety of motifs within each white block.
161 S. Main St., Shrewsbury, York County, Pennsylvania
Names handwritten by one person in ink. Four names within each 9-patch block and the remainder within the half-blocks at perimeter.
Quilt was made by the Reformed Church congregation in Shrewsbury, York Co., for their pastor, Rev. Hiram J. Hillegass. Hillegass was raised in Coopersburg, PA and was graduated from the Lancaster Theological Seminary. Presented to Rev. Hillegass reportedly as a farewill gift, probably c. 1907, by his Shrewsbury church congregation as he was taking a new pastorate at the Mechanicsburg (now Leola) church, Salem U.C.C. of Hellers, Lancaster County. Hillegas served 1895-1907 in York Co. and the congregation wanted to be remembered by this quilt signed with all 363 names of the members (handwritten list by Jean Hillegass, in file).
Provenance
Passed from Hiram J. Hillegass to son Russell to grandson Harold (donor). Harold and Jean are selling their home and retiring to Masonic Village, so wanted to find a good home for quilt.
Two small (3 1/4 x 4 1/4) portrait photos of both Rev. Hiram J. Hillegass & Mrs. Hiram (Euphemia Kern) Hillegass in file. Taken perhaps around their time of marriage. Also in file is clipped signature of H.J. Hillegass.
Signature quilt, Bear's Paw or Goose Tracks pattern, made of pieced and appliqued solid red and white cottons. Bear's Paw blocks are 9.5-10", made of 9 squares. The four corner white squares each have 2 red triangles & a square appliqued onto white to created pattern. Each center patch has a hand-penned signature.
Upper left block reads: "THE PROPERTY of Elizabeth Mann of Manor Township County of LANCASTER PA 1852." Remaining 35 blocks bear signatures of relatives and friends from Lancaster, York and Union Counties. Design blocks separated by 4" wide pieced white sashing; several horizontal sashes misaligned. Red binding stitched to front, wrapped and stitched to back. Backing is the same white cotton.
Hand quilted in white. Design blocks have lattice except for parallel lined in signature patch. Vertical sashing has vine with large flowers and large round berries? on vine. Horizontal sashing has large flower flanked by two long leaves and a line of rings within.
Made by family and friends of Elizabeth B. Mann (1832-1906) before her 1854 marriage to Eli C. Shuman (1830-1916), son of Jacob and Fanny Shuman of Washington Boro. See NOTES
Provenance
Quilt passed from maker to daughter Ida Shuman Willis to daughter Miriam K. Willis (single) who, at age 85, sold the quilt to Michael Rizzuto, an appraiser in York Springs, Pa. He then sold to Heritage Center.
Top has a sprinkling of various small stains and light soil. Back has increased soil, many small stains with some very dark.
Structurally very good condition.
Object ID
P.88.13.1
Notes
Elizabeth and Eli moved in 1860 to a 200-acre farm called "Bunker Hill Farm" in the Good Hope area of Cumberland Co. They raised 10 children and were then buried at Hope United Methodist Church on the Carlisle Pike.
See file for listing of signature names, places and relationships.
Place of Origin
Manor Twp.
Credit
Generosity of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
