The Muse: February 2002

Genealogical Group to be Formed

Do you have Amherst County ancestors? Are you interested in their history? Do you want to know more about early Amherst County families? Do you live in the area? Then this new group is for you.

The Genealogical Research Group will have its first meeting on Sunday, March 3rd at 2:00 at the Museum. As a sub-group of the Museum & Historical Society, it will be open to all members of the Museum. Members of this group will meet bi-monthly to discuss specific families, work on projects, tour historical repositories and share other ideas. The first meeting will cover what resources are already in the Museum’s library and have some time for brainstorming other activities.

Feel free to bring a friend and encourage them to join the Museum and this new group. Call the Museum at 946-9068 with questions.

Time to Gear Up For Another Year of Activities

2001 was a wonderful anniversary year for the Museum. We began several new programs and projects that met with wonderful success. Two of the most popular will be carried on into the year 2002 and held within the next few months.

The collectors lecture series will again occur in February and March. This year we will alternate lectures between the Madison Heights Library and the Museum. The following schedule has been set with each session beginning at 10:30 AM:

• February 21, Madison Heights Library -- Textile Care and Preservation presented by Meghan Wallace
• February 28, Museum -- Collecting Indian Artifacts, display and presentation by Mr. Paul Saunders
• March 7, Museum -- The Monroe Railroads. Organized by Mrs. Kathryn Pixley and Mr. Holcomb Nixon
• March 21, Madison Heights Library -- Stories and Artifacts of a World War II POW shared by Mr. Elmer Loving

Also, mark your calendars for April 13, the next "Get To Know Your County" Tour. From participant recommendations, we will visit the Southeastern area of the County including Brightwell’s and Galt’s Mills as well as other intriguing sites. Transportation will again be provided and seating will be limited to 30 people. Keep your eyes out for a separate mailing on the upcoming tour.

See you there!

Director’s Notes:
Building Repairs Make Progress

The Museum’s mission to "discover, collect and preserve objects related to the history and genealogy of Amherst County" made some strides this fall as we proceeded with repairs to the Kearfoot-Wood House. Without a structurally sound building, we will not be able to take care of the artifacts placed in our custody.

This October and November, contractors replaced the roof of our front porch as well as the deteriorated balustrade. Measures were also taken to repair a section of the porch that had pulled away from the main structure of the home. What remains of this project is to repaint the lower half of the porch and install a historically appropriate light. These steps have been taken to maintain the Kearfoot-Wood house as it has appeared in the past.

We also made progress in the basement by clearing out much of the refuse and layering the dirt floor with several inches of stone. A replacement sump pump has been purchased and we will soon be done with that project.

Looking to the future, a successful grant season last fall has allowed us to begin the process of repainting and repairing our windows in preparation to install storm windows. Having storm windows in place will help lessen out heating and air bills. It will also be advantageous to the collections because storm windows will help decrease the temperature fluctuations in the storage rooms.

As you can see, we are taking several measures to ensure that we as an institution are able to properly tend for our collections by taking care of our home. There is still much more to come including re-pointing the outside brick and eventually major work on the roof. Your continued support will help make these projects a reality.

Meghan

Textile Preservation Tips

As part of our winter lecture series, I will be presenting a workshop on caring for antique textiles including quilts, clothes and wedding dresses. The workshop will address proper storage conditions, handing practices, display environments and simple conservation tips. I will bring some examples from the Museum to show you how to care for these precious items and answer specific questions about artifacts that you might have at home. I encourage all who have antique textiles to attend, but for those who cannot, I want to share with you a few tips on storing your precious textiles.

Cloth items often receive the most damage not while being used or displayed, but from poor storage environments. There are some simple steps that you can take to store your textiles without permanently damaging them. They require no, or minimal, additional expense and can help ensure that your grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be able to appreciate the beauty of these items.

The most important step that you can take is to go up to the attic and down to the basement and gather up all the quilts, dresses, and other textiles that are there. Bring them to a climate-controlled section of your house. Basements and attics are the worst places to store textiles because they are subject to extremes in temperature and humidity. The dry hot air of an attic can cause the fibers in the cloth to become brittle and break. Higher temperatures also accelerate chemical reactions that can break down the structure of your fibers. In a basement, the moist air will encourage the growth of mold and mildew on your textiles. These molds can create stains that only a professional conservator has any chance of removing.

Not only do extreme environments damage your fabrics, but the fluctuation in temperature and humidity levels experienced in attics and basements plays a game of tug-of-war on the fibers of the cloth. The expansion and contraction of fibers in response to these fluctuations can damage the strength and elasticity of the textile. The best environment to store your textiles at is between 60 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit and about 50% relative humidity -- or an environment that is comfortable for you.

Light is another dangerous vice for your antique textiles. Any light, but especially sunlight and indoor florescent lighting, can cause fading and weakening of fibers. In some fabrics, light also accelerates the yellowing process. The chemical degradation caused by excess exposure to light is permanent and irreversible.

To keep your quilt or antique clothes away from harmful light rays, store them in a dark location such as a closet, dresser drawer, acid-free box or under a contemporary coverlet on a spare bed. These locations meet the requirements for temperature and humidity as well as light. But, there are additional precautions to take before placing your precious textiles in these locations.

The third threat to your fabrics is acids. Many of the locations that we think of most frequently for storing antique textiles abound with harmful acids. When storing your fabrics, beware of any wood or paper and many plastics as they contain harmful acids that can actually burn your treasures. People jump to use a cedar chest to ward off moths and insects without being aware that the wood is equally as harmful as the insects would be.

There are a few precautions one can take to keep historic cloth away from acids. Using closet shelves, large dresser drawers and cedar chests can be made possible by lining them with unbleached muslin and then wrapping your fabric in another sheet of muslin before placing it in storage. The muslin will act as a buffer between the acid-bearing wood and the textile.

You can also use acid-free textile boxes, which are available through several catalogs. These large boxes are more expensive than muslin, but allow you to store your textiles under a bed. Traditional under-bed cardboard boxes are not suggested, as they contain high levels of harmful acids.

If you are truly desperate for storage space and do not have access to acid-free boxes large Rubbermaid containers can be used as a last resort, as long as the object is wrapped in muslin or acid-free tissue paper before being placed in the container. Also, beware of sealing the container too tightly. This can create a micro-environment that can accelerate any damage caused by existing vices within the fabric.

Here are some numbers to call to order catalogs that sell appropriate storage material including acid-free boxes, acid-free tissue paper and temperature and humidity monitors. Each company will sell in limited quantities to individual buyers.

• Light Impressions: 800-828-6216
• University Products: 800-628-1912
• Conservation Resources International (CRI): 800-634-6932

For additional tips and demonstrations on caring for your antique textiles, make sure to attend the workshop at the Madison Heights Library, February 21 at 10:30 AM.

Report on the Norvell Cemetery

Submitted by Mr. Doug MacLeod

Norvell Cemetery is located in Amherst County off Rt. 130 near Elon at the end of John’s Creek Road. It overlooks the James River. Approximately an acre is covered in periwinkle. The Cemetery contains an estimated three dozen grave sites marked and unmarked. Some stones include:

• Sarah Elizabeth Norvell; b. Nov. 17, 1848;d. June 25, 1916.
• George W. Norvell; infant; b. July 5, 1894; d. Sept. 9, 1894.
• Ruth D. Norvell; b. 12/29/1873; d. Jan 1, 1905 [stone fallen]. Foot stone R.D.N. "Mother - Every joy to us is dead - since Mother is not here."
• J. Owen Norvell; b. 3/24/1869; d. 2/11/1906 [stone fallen]. Foot stone J.O.N. "Our Father has gone to a mansion of rest - to the glorious land by Deity blest."
  [James O. Norvell, age 35, a locomotive engineer, married Ruth D. Wood, age 26, 12/31/1904. James was the son of William & Sarah Norvell.]
• Robert Lee Norvell; b. Aug. 31, 1911; Feb. 8, 1940. "At Rest."

Queries

Wish to know more about Robert Ridgeway b. ca. 1774, d. 1861. Married Mary___?___ b. ca. 1782-3, d. 1873. Robert the son of Thomas and Lucy Christian...Ridgeway.

Interested in William Ridgeway (son of Robert), canal agent 1855-67. Married Caroline Payne. He died Feb. 7, 1890.

Interested in histories/stories of the Bethel, Salt Creek, John’s Creek areas of Amherst Co. and families that lived there including Scott, Norvell, Johns, and Crawford to name a few.

Please respond to any of the above to:
Doug MacLeod
c/o Amherst County Museum
P.O. Box 741
Amherst, VA 24572

Please submit your queries on 3x5 file cards, (one query per card) clearly and concisely written. Include your name and address so readers may contact you directly. No electronic submissions will be accepted for this service. One free query for Amherst County Museum & Historical Society members for each quarterly issue. Additional queries appearing in the same issue are $1.00 per query per member. Queries from non-members are $2.00 each.

Village Garden Club Decorates Museum

Many thanks to the Village Garden Club for decorating the Museum so beautifully for the Christmas Holiday. Museum members and visitors enjoyed the lovely decorations and commented on how festive the Museum looked.

Gravestone Book Update

The Museum would like to publish an addendum to update the Gravestone book to the present. We would appreciate your help to locate private cemeteries that are not listed and to update ones that are listed. If you are willing to help or if you know of a private cemetery that is not listed, please call Meghan Wallace, Director, at 946-9068.

Matching Gift Programs

Does your business have a matching gift program? You might look into it. Many businesses have programs that will match your donations to non-profit organizations, such as our Museum & Historical Society. Often all you need to do is fill out a form and include it with your check to Museum. As you know, every little bit helps and we greatly appreciate all your support.

New Exhibits

Next time you pass through Amherst, stop by the Museum to see our two new exhibits.

The first, Blocks and Squares: Historic Quilts shows quilts from the Museum’s collection. Several different styles including a 1930s stuffed quilt, a sampler quilt and a patchwork crazy quilt show the changes in quilting trends over the centuries. Also pick up a brochure with 10 tips on taking care of your family quilts.

By early February, an exhibit looking at transportation over time will take up the two temporary exhibit rooms. This exhibit will focus on the evolution of transportation in Amherst County including early roads, the rivers, the railroads and automobiles. It will remain on display through the winter and spring.

Welcome New Members

• Levonne Flint - Glasgow, VA
• Hall Family - Amherst, VA
• Mrs. C. Hatten Liphart - Jacksonville, FL
• Joyce Maddox - Lynchburg, VA
• Clyde Mawyer - Amherst, VA

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