A moment to reflect...

Lots of discussion happening here in the American South about race.

What happened last week is horrible.  What has happened the past few days in Charleston restores my faith that all people can live together.

These photos are from a church here in Augusta that may be torn down later this year.

The small building was put up by slaves prior to the civil war.  They pooled their savings to buy the freedom of a literate black man to serve as their pastor.

This a painful part of our history.  A part we shouldn't forget.

The large building was put up around 1875...to me it shows how much progress the black community made in this area in less than 50 years.  I hate to think we would lose this.

The inside of the building is in poor shape...

partly from no maintenance being done (one of our photographers fell through the balcony floor!  She was bruised and shaken but ok...)

and partly from vandals or folks camping out here.

We were out there photographing for a local museum so the church could be documented before it disappears...

Redcliffe Plantation

A few years ago I helped document a signature quilt from an area of South Carolina called Beech Island.  Since then I've wanted to visit a state park there that had a Plantation House from the same time period as the quilt.

It was a hot humid Carolina day so we went over early!  The house was built by a former Governor of the state of S.C. prior to the civil war.

The trees around the house are really beautiful.  Lots of large oaks and magnolia trees which were in blossom.  These flowers are around 10 inches across!

Lots of patterns in the brickwork

 and tiles (Minton imported from England!) that made me think of quilts.

I can't believe it took me so long to visit this state park!  It is only 20 minutes from my house.  When I lived overseas I made a point of going to at least one historical site a month.

me under one of the large trees!

 I think I need to try doing that in my own area too!

As far as helping with the quilt history documentation...well, I did learn that there was a small booklet published about textiles in this area in the late 1840's.  I am hoping to get to read a copy of it soon and hope that it may give me some clues to the quilt's history as well.