The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-03-19
TREASURES In THE
WOMAN'S BUILDING,
GEM OF THE EXPOSITION

I'm Grove of Live Oaks on til
Ash1cy-A Real Colonial Man
sion Filled With Relics.
"In the far corner of the Expos
tion grounds is the woman's building
Perhaps the reason that building wa
not made the centre of the Exposition
grounds Is because it might over
shadow all around it. Even its retire,
location does not detract from its grea
attractivtness.
The woman's building has many
points fiom which it is distinctive
from all the others 1t is not unique
by design, or it was not designed tt
initiate some style of architecture now
out of date, but it is thoroughly repre-
sentative of the style of architecture
in vogue when it was built-137 years
ago. It's fact that this building was
standing before the Revolutionary
war, and it is claimed that during that
strife Sir Henry Clinton crossed the
Ashley river at this point and took up
his headquarters in the building,
which was then owned by Hon. VIM.
Gibbes, who had built it in 1865. He
was an aged but very patriotic old
gentleman, devoted 10 the cause of
Congress. "1hey say" that when Mr..
Gibbes saw the British soldicry tramp
ling down his beautiful flowers, the
OLD gentleman flew into n rage, suf-
fered stroke of apoplexy--and died.
The house subsequently passed into the
hands of Mr.. Rawlins Lowndes, and
later i'll TO the hands of his son, Mr.. Will
liam Lowndes. More recently it was
owned by DR.. Rose, and it was last
owned by Capt. Il. w. Wagener before
he turned it over TO ahe Exposition
1t is understood that this will be the
main point of interest in u new park
to take the place of Ghicora park,
which has been acquired by the Uni
ted States as naval station. This is
the history of the building in which is
housed the exhibits collected by the
women who have been such faithful
and staunch supporters of the Expo
sition.
The old homestead-no woman's
building, looks out beyond a trio of
superb live oaks, past the beautiful
flower garden where hyacinths, cro-
cuses, buttercups and other spring
flowers are blooming in rare and rich
tprofusion, ON the lawn which slopes
away to the Ashley, which throws its
Sjsinuous form around the western side
Sof the Exposition grounds.
The porch on the ground floor ls en-
closed with glass in windows of quaint
design which do not detract from the
colonial appearance of the building and
afford protection for Dorchester Coun-
ty's exhibit OIL the left and for the
sun parlors on the right. The sun
parlor with its southern exposure is a
delightful nook, eml,owered in ferns,
palms and other evergreens.
After entering the pretty old door
way, one passes into the main hall,
which In turn ends in circular hall
around the end of which curves the
quaint S. i stairway. On the left of
the main hallway is a pretty library,
where people stop to rest and to write
their names, but there is better work
for the eyes than In reading dry old
books while in the woman's building.
On the right of the main hallway is
the nursing room where miniature cots
with their snowy linen are used to
show how noble women in their ten
derness and patience care for the sick
and those needing woman's care.
Throughout the whole extent of the
woman's building one idea is suggest-
ed-womsn's 8 sunselfshness. There is,
of course, splendid array of fancy
work, paintings, etc., hut the women
interested in the Exposition have spent
most of their time collecting memen-
toes of men.
The circular hallway lets one into
room over which is the legend, "Se.
riculture." Here is collection of
facts and of articles which shoul! in
spire the people of South Carolina to
take lively interest in the culture of
silk. Sir Nathaniel johnson intro.
duced such experiments to this State
over hundred years ago. This room,
under the supervision of Mrs. Black
burn Hughes, is daintily festooned
with garlands Of bright little silk CO.
coons, strung upon garlanls pending
from the ceiling. In glass case is
shown the eggs of the butterfly, next
the worm in several stages until finally
it begins to weave the cocoon around
self, spinning the silk with its wealth
NCAI 10 6uOWn Une
cocoons after being put into water
when the strands of silk become plI-
able and are made into skeins.
There is no silk industry in this
country now, but there is an effort on
foot to create sentiment in favor of
this culture. Mrs. Blackburn Hughes,
Miss Kelly and others are seconded in
their efforts by the Duo de I.itta, who
has sent over from Italy thousand
mulberry trees. He is said TO be en-
thused over the prospects of making
silk In the South Carolina climate.
The States correspondent saw some
strands of silk made from a5ocoons by
South Carolina ladies within the past
year, and it compares well with the
most beautiful specimens of fibre sent
to the Exposition from Asia Minor,
Italy, France, China, etc.
There is some attempt being made
in North Carolina to push this indus
Z try, and samples of elk cloth made
by the Misses Kron, of Stanley County,
are on exhibition. In the Greenville
exhibit is also fabric of native silk
and wool, but more of that aoain