A WORKING GREENHOUSE

STUDENT WORKER'S GLOVES HANGING AROUND 

What does a college do that has a large beautiful old glass and steel greenhouse and lots of young energetic students in the Agriculture and Natural Resource Department? Well in 1871 the college decided to grow vegetables and flowers and make them available for a reasonable cost to the area residents. It was successful and grew to become the farm sales program which exists to this day. The money raised helps fund the department's program. 

FRESH GREENS FOR YOUR GARDEN

Students work in the greenhouse as well as in other parts of the farm program which has grown to include hoop house gardening,  hog farming, bee keeping, growing Shitake mushrooms, outdoor gardening as well as a few other projects.  

SALE IS POPULAR WITH TOWN RESIDENTS

Every spring the students hold a large plant sale in the old greenhouse. The plants are considered first harvest as they are seeded and grown on the grounds of the college. Community support is high for the event and the plants are quickly sold. It's a win-win situation -- the residents get freshly grown plants, mostly organic, and the students raise money to help with the continuation of the program.

PART OF GREENHOUSE WORK AREA

For more info on Berea College's Plant Sale click here

LOVE IN THE WOODS

CLUSTER OF BEECH TREES ALONG A WOODED TRAIL DISPLAYING EVERLASTING LOVE

Along a creek trail near Berea College located in Kentucky, I counted a cluster of about twenty beech trees with carvings of hearts, initials and a few figures bored into the wood. The oldest carving was dated 1963. The latest dated carvings I could find were some in the mid 1980s.


The main theme of these carvings seemed to be undying love but I suppose with closer scrutiny one could unfold other meanings.


Now some of you might disagree with carving into a beautiful tree to profess one's feelings. This is not about agreeing or disagreeing, its about Arborglyphs. You might be saying what the heck is Arborglyphs? I know I did when I first discovered the word. 

CARVED BEECH TREE ALONG WOODED TRAIL NEAR BEREA COLLEGE 

Anborglyphs is the study of  culturally modified trees (CMT) -- those that have been carved by humans that give us a glimpse of a part of our culture. The Berea cluster of twenty or so trees probably has several cultural meanings. Let's look at some possibilities.

One is that  a nearby college full of young single students is located near the spot where I found the trees -- lots of opportunities to have multiple carvings of love symbols on the trees.


Secondly, why were all the symbols carved within that one particular cluster of trees when there was a whole woods to place their sentiments? 


The possible answer to the latter question is perhaps the trees acted as a "bulletin board" to all who traveled the trail. The beech trees sit tight against the trail. In other words, the trees could have conveyed to passing college students the sweethearts at their school. Of course this is all conjecture on my part  -- perhaps others would define the cultural context differently. 

CARVED BEECH TREE ALONG WOODED TRAIL NEAR BEREA COLLEGE 

Beech, aspen and birch have smooth barks for carving and are usually the types used for this tradition. Many people consider arborglyphs a form of folk art. 

CARVED BEECH TREE ALONG WOODED TRAIL NEAR BEREA COLLEGE 

In Northern Nevada and other parts of the United States immigrant sheepherders have given us a legacy of tree carvings since the late 1800s. The Arborglyphs are being studied for  clues as to the traditions of their culture. I've included some online resources if you would like more information on this interesting subject.

For now, for me, today, I will look at the Berea arborglyphs and wonder if they were in any way a part of a Valentine's Day custom? 

RESOURCES


The Woodland Archives: Interpretive Uses of Arborglyphs. Legacy magazine.

"Mike Lucy: My Favorite Herder:" Arborglyph Recording Project, Fremont National Forest, Oregon 1997. Carol Pedersen, PIT Volunteer.

Sheepherders of Northern Nevada, University of Nevada, Reno

A ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE IN BEREA KENTUCKY

CONSTRUCTING THE SEATING AREA AT INDIAN FORT 
AMPHITHEATRE DESIGN 
1954 VINTAGE PHOTO 
Courtesy: Berea College Special Collections

From what I’ve read, outdoor theaters are popular with folks. The idea of being in an outdoor atmosphere, watching a play or  band can be relaxing or exciting depending on your preference.  As  far as construction of these outdoor theaters -- they come in all different configurations and materials.

ANCIENT ROMAN ORANGE AMPHITHEATRE, PARIS, FRANCE
CONSTUCTION: ARC AND ASCENDING SEATING
Courtesy: Simply Groups

I am familiar with a particular theater that is configured as an amphitheatre. It was built to celebrate the 1955 centennial of Kentucky’s Berea College. The seating ascends downward toward the stage -- the audience sits in a curving arc facing the stage -- both are traditional building practices of the ancient Roman amphitheatres.

PARTIAL VIEW OF THE CURVING ARC OF THE SEATING AREA
FOLDING CHAIRS WERE SET-UP ALONG THE TOPS OF THE LIMESTONE ROWS.
SEE PHOTO SECOND FROM BOTTOM

The theatre I am speaking of is called Indian Fort. Its entire arc of seating is stacked limestone. This construction is very graphic visually. Similarly, ancient Roman amphitheatres used limestone frequently.

I thought I could find another U.S. amphitheatre made of limestone online but had no such luck. Natural limestone is found abundantly in Kentucky. Historically it became customary to use it for construction of both simple and formal buildings and decoration. It probably presented itself as the natural stone of choice for the centennial construction.  

VIEW OF THE WORKMANSHIP OF THE STACKED STONE ROWS 

The labor to build Indian Fort would have been skilled. Stacking rock requires knowledgeable masons. The entire project cost $100.000. This included a wooden entrance structure that held the ticket office, rest rooms and associated needs

THE CHAIRS ALL IN PLACE ON THE LIMESTONE-STACKED ROWS 
WAITING FOR THE CROWD.
VINTAGE PHOTO
Coutesy Berea College Special Collections

During the 1950s through the 1970s a commonly held play at the Indian Fort was Wilderness Road by Paul  Green. Other activities such as Berea College graduations were once held at the amphitheatre.  

CROWDS RELAXING IN THE FRESH AIR WHILE 
WATCHING A PLAY AT INDIAN FORT.
VINTAGE PHOTO
Courtesy Berea College Special College

During the past few years the Indian Fort location has been the venue for the  popular Berea Craft Festival which draws crowds from several different states.

The attendees probably are unaware they are getting a taste of ancient Roman architecture as they gaze at crafts from Kentucky and beyond. 

SOURCES

National Park Service, Lexington Kentucky

Jamie M Bradley, College Archivist, Hutchins Library,  Berea College, Kentucky ,

Photos courtesy of Berea College Special Collections Hutchins Library

Berea College, Berea Kentucky