VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — I recently visited Virginia Beach to check out a piece of award-winning local history at the Thoroughgood House: a centuries-old quilt.
"The quilt itself has this beautiful tree of life pattern," said Annmarie Reiley-Kay, the Director of the Virginia Beach History Museums. "The pattern is quite elaborate. And so to us, how it was made, what it is, the pattern, the age, that tells us its own kind of significance."
This deep indigo quilt is from the mid-1700s. It looks like it was made from silk or satin, but Reiley-Kay says it’s actually wool.
"When I think of wool, I think rough or scratchy. But the way this quilt was made, it's calamanco, which means they used a piece of stone, to rub it until it has this beautiful sheen," said Reiley-Kay.
This colonial quilt was recently named one of Virginia's Top 10 Endangered Artifacts by the Virginia Association of Museums.
"So through the award, we won $1,000 for the care and conservation of it. So now it's going to go to the conservators lab, which is up in DC," said Reiley-Kay.
She said after a few months of expert cleaning, repair, and treatment, the quilt will be back on display at the Thoroughgood House: one of the oldest surviving colonial homes in Virginia Beach and a National Historic Landmark.
The Thoroughgood House is located at 1636 Parish Road in Virginia Beach. The home is open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free with tours every 45 minutes. For more information on other Virginia Beach History Museums, click here.
