The Bridal Quilt

The quilts are no longer on exhibit but we have images of all of the quilt squares and transcriptions of the text.  We will post this information as time permits.

This is the Sarah Scott bridal quilt waiting to be cataloged.

Each square in this Album quilt is signed by one of Sarah’s friends or family and some include a poem or date.

This is a close up of one square in the Bridal Quilt. Each square is different.

This is another square in the quilt

For the next three months, a USC Sumter intern will be doing research on the families named, the communities involved, and the quilts. She will be photographing the quilts, transcribing the inscriptions, and searching primary and secondary source records.

We hope to learn who each of the signers are, where they lived, and how they were connected to the family. As we learn new things, we’ll include them in the exhibit and on this blog.

This is a closeup of the outer border of the Bridal Quilt.

This quilt bears the following inscription:
To Sarah
Oh, may Christ’s Spirit
Guide thy feet in ways of righteousness
Make every pathway straight
And plain before thy face.
from
Mrs. A. Hughson
February 27, 1850

The inscription on the center square of the crib quilt.A Close up of the Crib QuiltA closeup of some of the fabrics used.

We have two quilts on display.  One is a crib-sized baby quilt donated to the museum in 1969. The second is a Bridal Album quilt given to the museum in memory of Ruth Cain Thomas and in honor of Mary Ellen Cain Compton.

Both quilts were orginally owned by Sarah Ann Scott Dwight (1828-1899).  Sarah married Dr. Samuel J. Dwight (1825-1862) in 1850.

Welcome to our newest exhibit!  We hope you will join us as we research and exhibit a c1850 Bridal Quilt from Sumter County!

The museum receives many wonderful objects from the Sumter community. Usually, before the artifact can be exhibited, it has to be researched, photographed, and cataloged. In this exhibit, we’ve decided to  invite our visitors into the process.  So join us as we learn more about a beautiful piece of Sumter County’s history.

If you would like to share some information about the family or the quilt, please let us know. You just might become part of the exhibit!