Hatties Pride
Block Number: H 11by Ginger Todd
“HATTIE’S PRIDE” JOINS MCDOWELL RURAL HERITAGE QUILT TRAIL
As thunder rolled across the hills and gray, cloudy skies threatened rain on Wednesday evening, July 17, 2013, the 11th block on the Heritage Trail was installed on the corn crib of Jon and Anne Englebach. While the scaffolding was erected to position the block inquisitive goats meandered around, a variety of curious chickens clucked underfoot and a hee-hawing donkey brayed to horses in a pasture across the road. The shyer ducks remained their distance from the hubbub of excitement.
While on a trip from their home in Maryland to visit Anne’s sister in Asheville, the couple fell in love with the region and asked her to keep an eye out for a place they could afford. In response to an ad for an “abandoned farm house” Jon came down and made an offer on the place which was accepted. The home and property, unseen to Anne other than photos Jon took, they took a leap of faith and in 1997 moved to their new community, Ashe Bridge Farms, located in the Montford Cove area of West Marion.
The original farm is over 100 years old; the slightly newer current home was built by Badger Williams in 1947 and had only wood stoves for heat and cooking when the Englebachs moved in. They installed a new furnace system and other update necessities and it has remained home to them and their five children for the past 16 years. Although the original barn and other outbuildings no longer stand, the corn crib is still in use and the perfect place for the Rural Heritage quilt block “Hattie’s Pride”. Hen nesting houses have recently been added to the side of the building to accommodate their free roaming poultry.
Back in 1970 Anne’s grandmother, Hattie W. Hussey, gave her a quilt that her grandfather’s sister had made. The block is patterned after the quilt’s design “Jacob’s Ladder” and named in memory and honor of Grandma Hattie. Quilts were often inspired based on favorite beloved Biblical passages and stories. Garden of Eden, Solomon’s Puzzle, Joseph’s Coat, King David’s Crown and Road to Paradise are some examples. Anne quilts, weaves and is currently learning to spin. She finds the display of the outdoor quilt blocks, each with its unique pattern commemorating some historical memory or person, a fine way to capture the artwork for everyone who passes by to see.
Jacob’s Ladder is a popular Old Testament Bible patchwork design used for hundreds of years and a traditional all-time favorite with many variations. It was commonly chosen by women who read their Bibles each day, possibly on a long wagon wheel journey west or during the cold winter months when there were no gardening chores to be done and they dreamed of traveling. “Jacob’s Ladder” was inspired by the scripture Genesis 28 verse 11 relating Jacob’s dream of a staircase: “And he dreamed and behold a ladder set up on the earth and the top of it reached the heavens and behold the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” Seldom do we find a quilt pattern with just one name and this pattern created in various color choices and geographical locations, has been called many. Just a few are Road to California, Stepping Stones, Underground Railroad and Trail of the Covered Wagon. All of these names have one thing on common: they all speak of going somewhere.
Anne works as an occupational therapist at CareSouth Health Care and has family roots in North Carolina. Her grandfather, William Webster Hussey (1891-1970) was born in Duplin and her grandmother, Hattie Lee Williams Hussey (1895-1978) was born in Moore. She feels their move back to the land of her heritage and living in North Carolina was somehow meant to be.
