Hempfield Railroad; coverlet; Figured and Fancy; double-cloth; c. 1851; Pennsylvania or West Virginia
date: label: date made
content: 1851
label: date made
content: c. 1851
name: label: maker
content: unknown
notes: label: Description
content: An unidentified weaver wove this blue and white, Figured and Fancy, double cloth coverlet. The centerfield design features oak leaf and flower, sprig and floral, foliate swag, and leaf carpet medallions. All four of the borders depict the No. 240 engine and coal car being operated by the engineer. The cornerblocks depict four profile portraits of M. T. McKennon, the first president of the railroad. He is surrounded by the woven inscription, “Hemfield Railroad.” The Hempfield Railroad was began in 1851 and designed to connect Wheeling, Virginia (current West Virginia) to Washington, Pennsylvania. Construction was not complete until 1857 and the railroad operated until 1871 when it was sold to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. It is not clear if these coverlets were used on the passenger cars or sold to subscribers. The railroad was initially funded through subscription, and it is possible that these coverlets were made to help facilitate that process or just to commemorate the arrival of the railroad. The coverlet was likely made c. 1851 either in Wheeling or Western Pennsylvania. The railroad operated three locomotive engines, six freight and passenger cars, and eleven coal cars.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: West Virginia, Wheeling
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Textiles
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content: Coverlets
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content: Textiles
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content: Domestic Furnishings
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Mr. Harrison W. Smith
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TE.T7317
label: catalog number
content: T07317.000
label: accession number
content: 123286
objectType: label: Object Name
content: coverlet, figured
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: cotton, wool (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: blue, white (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: Figured and Fancy (overall production method/technique)
label: Physical Description
content: double cloth (overall production method/technique)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 86 in x 70 in; 218.44 cm x 177.8 cm