Appliquéd Masonic Quilt, ca. 1875

Appraised on: June 23, 2012

Appraised in: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Appraised by: Beth Szescila

Category: Rugs & Textiles

Episode Info: Myrtle Beach (#1708)

Originally Aired: February 25, 2013

IMAGE: 1 of 2  

Appraisal Video: (1:52)

GUEST: It was a quilt that was handed down through my family. My great-great-grandmother made it right after the Civil War.

APPRAISER: She had some connection with the Masons. What was her connection there?

GUEST: Her husband was a Mason. Before her husband left to go to fight in the Civil War, he gave her some information that she could use to identify herself as a wife of a Mason. And she used this information when Sherman's men were coming through Orangeburg. They were getting ready to burn her house. And when she identified herself as the wife of a Mason, they gave the order not to burn her house and to put back what they had looted. And after the Civil War, she quilted this quilt.

APPRAISER: The Masons have been intertwined with American history since the beginning of America. There were many presidents who were Masons, and they were particularly important during the 19th century, when this was made. It's a quilt that's composed of many of the symbols of the Mason order. It has a huge impact, visually. The graphics are wonderful, they've done an excellent job of putting together so many unusual different kinds of symbols into such a pleasing quilt. The condition of it is excellent. I don't believe it's ever been washed, which is very important. It still has much of the original sheen on it. It's clean. I think that this would be a very exciting thing if it came to auction. And I would think in the auction market, it would probably sell for somewhere between $6,000 and $8,000.

GUEST: Oh, okay. That's wonderful.

APPRAISER: Probably to some Masons.

GUEST: Probably.

APPRAISER: But it's a wonderful quilt.

GUEST: Thank you.

APPRAISER: Thank you.