EARLY HOUSE FIREPLACE -- LANCASTER KENTUCKY

Early crafted fireplace

Lancaster has many early historic homes in original condition. Above is a finely crafted fireplace that dates to around the early to mid 1800s at which time this fireplace would have been crafted by local craftsmen out of virgin timber. I am amazed at the beauty of the workmanship -- cove moldings, shadows of original dental moldings, and line carvings. 

Revealing the underlying historic paint colors on the fireplace can help preservation efforts in choosing the appropriate paints for the fireplace.

At the time I took this photo the whole house was undergoing some preservation work giving it a fresh vitality. Nice to know this fireplace will be remaining to keep the new occupants cozy.

APPALACHIAN VERNACULAR FARMHOUSE

Standing on open Kentucky farmland, this mid to late 1800s Appalachian vernacular farmhouse appears abandoned but yet perhaps not?  It has signs of non-use but there could be other reasons for this. 

Here we have a pane missing from
 the window's six over six lights
 of its upper story window sash

Notice the two boarded up windows. What circumstances 
could be the cause of this farmhouse's forlorn look? 

TRADITIONAL APPLIQUE PICTORIAL QUILTS -- A SOUTHERN TRADITION

Pictorial Quilt 1898

Quilter --Harriet Powers

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Massachusetts

Bible Quilt -- 1886
"Adam and Eve Naming the Animals"
Quilter, Harriet Powers
Smithsonian, Washington D.C.

History repeats itself over time in all types of genera. In this case -- appliqued pictorial quilts. 

In the 1800s a Georgia woman of African-American descent created a quilt out of cotton panels and appliqued story pieces on them. Today she is considered the "mother of appliqued quilts." Two of her quilts are still with us in Boston and Washington  D. C. museums. These two quilts are the lone survivors of her work. Unless . . .

 Another quilt is known to have been created by Harriet Powers. The book This I Accomplish: Harriet Powers' Bible Quilt and Other Pieces by Kara E. Hicks, provides the following information, "In 2009, a copy of an 1896 letter from Harriet Powers to a prominent Keokuk, Iowa woman surfaced . . . it (sic) describes a quilt made about 1882 that she called the Lord's Supper quilt. It is unclear if the presumably appliqued quilt still physically exists today. Given that two of Powers' appliqued quilts have survived for over 100 years, it is possible the Lord's Supper quilt could be in a collection." (Hicks)

"Wild and Wooley"
Pictorial Applique Wall Hanging Quilt
Creator -- Ms Betty

From the 1800s lets jump to a 2011. Here an appliqued wall hanging tells a contemporary garden story -- created by Ms Betty who is a member of the Berea Depot Quilters guild in Berea, Kentucky.  

Section of "Wild and Wooley"

Here we find the same idea of the Powers quilt of telling a story. The story appears to be about  gardening, home, food and insects all intertwined into a artistic blend of applique.

"Section of Wild and Wooley"

Pieced with many different colors and patterns the quilt does appear joyously wild with the use of wool appliqued pieces.

Section of "Wild and Wooley"

Such works of art such as the applique quilt reminds me of how women can avail themselves to artistically contribute their own personal stories.  

Harriet Powers truly was the "mother of appliqued quilts" who began a traditional art that she created over a hundred years ago. A traditional art that is still going strong today.

REFERENCES

Online Sources

The New Georgia Encyclopedia

Harriet Powers Quilt

Smithsonian National Museum, American History
Harriet Powers Quilt


Wikipedia Harriet Powers

Book Sources

Signs and Symbols African Images In African - American Quilts

by Maude Southwell Wahlman

This I Accomplish: Harriet Powers' Bible Quilt and Other Pieces. by Kara E. Hicks,  Publisher: Black Threads Press

COUNTRY PLANTATION HOMES -- CENTRAL KENTUCKY

Paint Lick Area, Kentucky --  Greek Revival Style Influence
Early 1800s

Greek Revival Influence
Paint Lick Area, Kentucky
Early 1800s

Georgian Influence

Early 1800s

Central Kentucky

VICTORIAN PORCH LATTICE WORK

DOUBLE PORCH  -- LATTICE WORK 

LATTICE:  A lattice or lattice work is a criss-crossed or interlaced arrangement of laths or pattern made by such an arrangement. Wiki Definition.

Today, lattice can be bought at such stores as Lowes or Home Depot. Their lattice is thin pieces of wood that bend easily. It is not stout construction like the historic lattice you see on the porch above


This porch belongs to a home in Richmond, Kentucky that was built in the late eighteen hundreds or early nineteen hundreds. The porch is interesting from the aspect it is a double decker. Both have artistically applied lattice. 
   

DOUBLE PORCH -- CLOSE UP

Below are a couple of lattice resources that have been taken from the Old House Journal. This journal has long been a favorite of mine and I highly recommend it for folks with older homes.

When I say older,  I am saying those fifty years old or older. At one time, and probably still is the rule of thumb by the National Trust of Historic Preservation, is that houses fifty years old or older can be considered for historic designation which opens new avenues. 


A great newsletter to receive on vernacular older structures is the Vernacular Architecture Forum.

Overall,  I think lattice and/or gingerbread can be adopted and applied on either old or new houses if done artistically.  If interested in historic housing check out the resources above and for trim-work see below. 

RESOURCES: 

Restoring Porch Lattice Work, Old House Journal, June 1978

I need advice on my folk Victorian exterior, Old House Journal online