The Cultural Heritage Project was born when an exhibition of historic quilts at the William King Museum of Art became enormously popular. In 1994, inspired to host more humanities-style exhibits but faced with a lack of research to draw on, Betsy K. White, the museum’s founder, decided to do her own field work to develop an archive of handmade objects.
Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, this field work involved White and her project partners going door to door to homes across 15 counties in far Southwest Virginia and bordering counties in Northeast Tennessee.
As the first survey of its kind in this region, this work resulted in the Betsy K. White Cultural Heritage Collection, adding thousands of fascinating items to the museum’s permanent collection, many of which can be seen on display in the Betsy K. White Cultural Heritage Gallery.
In addition to creating the Cultural Heritage Project and Collection, White, now the William King Museum of Arts’ executive director, also oversaw all of the project’s research and wrote two books on the region’s history of handmade items.
The decorative arts legacy of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee emerged during the European settlement of Virginia’s frontier. With improved transportation in the late 18th century, notably the Great Philadelphia Wagon Road, settlers began to arrive. This migration route, also known as the Great Valley Road or the Great Road, brought over 250,000 immigrants, primarily Scots-Irish and German.
As settlements grew, towns like Abingdon, Jonesborough, Greeneville, and Rogersville became bustling centers of commerce. Artisans followed, catering to the needs of the frontier economy with furniture, pottery, textiles, art, and metalwork. Many artisans, having learned their trades in areas like Philadelphia or Baltimore, brought with them a blend of styles and techniques that evolved into a unique regional aesthetic, now known as the Great Road Style.
Many examples of furniture, pottery, textiles, art, and metalwork are on exhibit in the Betsy K. White Cultural Heritage Gallery.
Furniture-making in our region began in the late 18th century, influenced by English cabinetmaker Thomas Chippendale. Although some early furniture was made at home with little regard for style, there was a market for more fashionable pieces. Chippendale’s designs, popular on the eastern seaboard, became popular here by the early 19th century. Local cabinetmaker John Erhart Rose, trained in Philadelphia, produced Chippendale-style furniture in Abingdon by 1810.
As the Federal period followed, influenced by George Hepplewhite and Thomas Sheraton, local cabinetmakers used walnut, cherry, and poplar woods. By the mid-19th century, styles shifted to heavier furniture, leading to the Empire style, and later, a more ornate Victorian style.
A notable piece from 1840-1860 was the food safe, often used in kitchens or porches. These safes featured hand-punched tin panels, sometimes painted or varnished. Today, these “pie safes” are valued for their craftsmanship, with some preserved in their original state.
Pottery-making was a significant industry in our region from the late 18th century through the 19th century. Potters crafted items like jars, crocks, and jugs from local clay. Early pottery was primarily orange earthenware, glazed with clear lead and sometimes decorated with oxides, and most pieces were unsigned.
By the mid-19th century, potters shifted to safer stoneware, which was more durable and less porous. Stoneware, usually grey or brown, was occasionally decorated with blue cobalt designs. Following the Civil War, the pottery industry thrived, especially in Washington County, where many potters began signing or stamping their work, leaving behind notable names like Barlow, Decker, Mort, Magee, and Vestal.
In our region during the 18th century and until the rise of mills and factories in the 19th century, handmade textiles played a significant role in both everyday life and the economy. The most commonly used textiles during this period included linen, wool, and cotton.
Beyond clothing, these functional materials were used throughout the household. Quilts were essential for both warmth and decoration, as were coverlets and other types of bedding. Talented craftsmen and women also used homespun textiles to make tablecloths and napkins, curtains and draperies, rugs, towels, and even furniture upholstery. More coarse fabrics like linen were often used to make sacks and bags for storing and transporting goods.
