Pi Beta Phi Settlement School coverlet; overshot; 1927; Tennessee
date: label: Date made
content: 20th century
label: date made
content: 1927
notes: label: Description
content: Weavers at the Pi Beta Phi Settlement House in Gatlinburg, Tennessee wove this blue and white, “Double Bow Knot” coverlet in 1927. The coverlet measures 96 inches by 76 inches and is constructed from two panels. The Pi Beta Phi school was established in the late nineteenth century in Gatlinburg as part of the settlement school movement to help educate the rural population of Southern Appalachia and provide them with a marketable craft skill. The school was famous for its loomhouse. The craft school is still in operation today and known as Arrowmont. Pi Beta Phi Elementary is still educating the children of Gatlinburg, Tennessee as well. This coverlet belonged to Mrs. B.B. Moeur of Tempe Arizona. It is unclear if she was the weaver, but it is possible that while in the female fraternity she learned to weave at the school. The coverlet became part of the Smithsonian collection as part of the 50th Anniversary Pi Beta Phi exhibit and demonstration held in 1962.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Tennessee, Gatlinburg
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Textiles
label: See more items in
content: Coverlets
label: See more items in
content: Textiles
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Pi Beta Phi Fraternity through Mrs. Alice Weber Mansfield, Grand President
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TE.T12897
label: catalog number
content: T12897.000
label: accession number
content: 242636
objectType: label: Object Name
content: coverlet, overshot
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: overshot (overall style)
label: Physical Description
content: wool (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: cotton (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: plain weave; supplementary weft float (overall production method/technique)
label: Physical Description
content: blue (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: white (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: double bow knot (overall pattern)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 96 in x 75 in; 243.84 cm x 190.5 cm