the history and preservation of the may museum quilt collection

The History & Preservation

of the

May Museum Quilt Collection

Tabitha Marie DeVisconti

“The grounds on this lot and around the buildings will be maintained as a public park and my home house thereon shall be maintained as a public museum for the people of the Town of Farmville, North Carolina, the natives who return home for visits, and all other interested persons, said property to be known as the May Museum and Public Park.”

May Museum and ParkBuilt circa 1854 and

restored in the late 1980’s

History

The May & Bynum families originated in colonial Tidewater region of Virginia. Like many other families, they migrated from Virginia to Eastern North Carolina in search of land.

May Men asLocal & State

Leaders✾Benjamin May

✾Pitt County Delegate to the North Carolina Provisional Congress in Halifax (first meeting on April 12, 1776)

✾Became Militia Major during the Revolutionary War

✾John Joyner – Harriett Williams May’s second husband, married in 1835✾House of Commons Representative, elected

1812✾North Carolina Senate 1824 – 1828

Harriett Williams

1786 – 1868

James Williams May

1820 – 1882

Tabitha Bynum

1822 – 1891

James May

1784 – 1825

GenealogyAfter several marriages, Major Benjamin May had 12 children,

including:

m. 25 June 1844

m.12 February

1806

“Broderie Perse”

This quilt is attributed to Harriett Williams May Joyner (1786 – 1868). It was made ca. 1810 – 1820 and is the

oldest May Family quilt known to still be in existence.

Harriett was the mother of James Williams May, who married Tabitha Bynum.

NC Museum of History Collection – Donated by Frances Massey, a descendant of Mrs. Joyner, in 1997.

“Broderie Perse”

Chintz and calico fabrics

“Broderie Perse”

Example of buttonhole stitching and Broken Dishes border

“Princess Feather”

Prior to Tabitha Bynum’s marriage to James Williams May in 1844, she made this Princess Feather Quilt of

brown chintz.

“Princess Feather”

“Princess Feather”

“Princess Feather”

James & Tabitha built their house in Farmville✾ In an 1850 census, James was listed as owning and harvesting:

✾ 120 improved acres & 655 unimproved acres, valued at $3,100

The family made at least five quilts, all of which are still in

the family collection. Four of the quilts

share common fabrics.

Prior to the

Civil War

“Blazing Star”

“Blazing Star”

Both Quilts Use the Same Brown Chintz

“Princess Feather” “Blazing Star”

“Birds in the Air”

“Birds in the Air”Note the use of the Prussian Blue fabrics and other calicos

“Birds in the Air”Deteriorated triangles

(below)

Fabric that was reproduced(on right)

Close-ups

The Prussian Blue sashing fabric used in “Blazing Star” is repeated in many of the triangles in “Birds in the Air”

The sashing from “Blazing Star”

(above)

“Birds in Air”

(on right)

“Streak of Lighting”

“Streak of Lightning”

Both Quilts use the Same Brown Fabric

“Birds in the Air” “Streak of Lighting”

“Streak of Lightning”

This quilt illustrates the embroidered “A” and the red pen signature of Tabitha DeVisconti that repeat

on many quilts in the collection.

“Mexican Rose”

Signed and dated“Tabitha May 1854”

“Mexican Rose”

“Mexican Rose”

Quilted with the Name & Date

“Tabitha May 1854”

May Family Membersin the Civil War

✾Robert Strange May: died in the war, 14 October 1864

✾James Sherrod May: enlisted 1862; 1st Sergeant in the 63rd Regiment, NC State Troops

✾William Fleming “Henry” May: enlisted 1862; Private in the 17th regiment, NC State Troops

✾Alfred May: enlisted 25 August 1862; 61st Regiment, NC State Troops

✾James Williams May: enlisted 1 February 1862; 44th Regiment, NC State Troops

James Williams May & Tabitha Bynum

✾James Oscar May (1849 – 1883)

✾Gideon Alonzo May (1851 – 1852)

✾John Edwin May ( 1853 – 1884)

✾Julia Susan Frances May (Sue) (1855 – 1908)

✾ Joseph Richard May (1857 – 1858)

✾ Harriett Priscilla May (1859 – 1861)

✾Amy Adeline Gertrude May (1863 – 1901)

Pictured: William James May

They helped their mother quilt until her death in 1891

Tabitha’sDaughters,

Sue and Addie

After the Civil War

James Williams May became a merchant and started a General Store in 1867 “a wooden structure on the

southwest corner of Wilson and Main Streets”

This is perhaps why the family could make so many quilts – they were buying bolts of fabric This is also the time during

which Tabitha, Sue & Addie began making the majority of the quilts in the family collection

Similar Farmville General Store

This time period saw solid color quilts and printed fabric quilts

being made in the May home

Post-Civil WarQuilts made

9 Block Variant in Strippy Pattern – ca.

1870

9 Block Variant in Strippy Pattern

“Album Signature” – 1870’s

“Album Signature” Quilt thought to have been stitched by Addie May and friends and family in the 1870’s

“Album Signature”

“Album Signature” Back

“Pinwheel Star” – ca. 1870-1880

“Pinwheel Star” ca. 1870-1880 fabrics; signed in ink“Leon C. Albritton 1877”

“Pinwheel Star”

Leon E. Albritton was

married to Sue May in 1888

“Pinwheel Star” – Late 19th Century

“Pinwheel Star”(Late 19th Century)

“Pinwheel Star”(ca. 1870 – 1880)

“Full Blown Tulip”ca. 1860-1870

“Full Blown Tulip”,

thought to have been made by Tabitha

Bynum May ca. 1860-

1870

“Full Blown Tulip”

“Full Blown Tulip”

Details of quilting donein two colors of thread

“Feathered Edge Star”ca. 1875

“Feathered Edge Star” believed to

have been stitched by

Tabitha Bynum May ca. 1875

“Feathered Edge Star”

“Feathered Edge Star”

“Orange Peel”ca. 1880

“Orange Peel”

“Eight-Pointed Star”ca. 1875

“Eight-Pointed Star”

“Eight-Pointed Star”

“Streak of Lighting”ca. 1880

“Streak of Lightning”

“Streak of Lightning”

“Streak of Lightning” (ca. 1880 )

“Streak of Lightning” (ca. 1855 )

“Birds in the Air”ca. 1880

“Birds in the Air”

Close-ups of the printed calico fabrics and the quilting that can be seen on the

back

“Birds in the Air”

“Birds in the Air”(ca. 1850)

“Birds in the Air”(ca. 1880)

“Whole Cloth Child’s Quilt”

ca. 1880

“Whole Cloth Child’s Quilt”

“Courthouse Square”

“Courthouse Square”

“Courthouse Square”ca. 1870

“Courthouse Square”

They used the “Courthouse Square” pattern in both

quilts, but made them in different fabrics

“Weathervane Variant Pattern”

ca. 1870 - 1880

“Weathervane Variant Pattern”

The plaid fabric is seen in the “Weathervane” quilt blocks and is also

used in the sashing of the“Album Signature” Quilt

“Square in a Square”ca. 1880

“Square in a Square”

“Square in a Square”

“Stars and Square in a Square” Child’s Quilt –

ca. 1875-1880

“Stars and Square in a Square”

“Stars and Square in a Square”

“Whole Cloth Baby Quilt”

ca. 1875-1880

“Whole Cloth Baby Quilt”

ca. 1875-1880

The madder print is repeated in at least three of the quilts

After 1885Quilts made

“Square in a Square”ca. 1890

“Square in a Square”

“Mosaic”(top only) ca. 1890

“Mosaic”

“Mosaic” (top only) – ca. 1900

the latest in the family collection

“Mosaic”

Preservationof the

May Museum and ParkQuilt Collection

Signatures that keptthem together

Tabitha DeVisconti

The house James Williams May and

Tabitha Bynum May built in the 1850’s was kept in the family until their granddaughter, Tabitha DeVisconti’s

death in 1983. In her will, she gave the house to the Town of Farmville to be made into the May

Museum and Park

Genealogy

Addie May

1863 – 1901

Paul Dupree1883 – 1911

Sue DeVisconti

1893 – 1946

Tabitha DeViscon

ti 1891 – 1983

Frances Dupree1856 – 1912

J.A. Lorenzo DeViscon

ti1836 – 1918

m. 1890 &later divorced

m. 10 May 1882 & divorced; remarried Aug.

1901

Special Thanks to: May Museum of Farmville, NC

Deborah Higgins, Executive DirectorLynn Lancaster Gorges, Textile Conservator

Hannah Piner, ECU InternGuy Higgins, Technical ConsultantW. Christopher Gorges, Volunteer

NC Museum of History