VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — If you've ever visited the Historic Thoroughgood House in Virginia Beach, you may have seen a deep purple quilt on display with a beautifully intricate pattern.
Did you know that it's now considered to be one of the top ten most endangered artifacts in the state of Virginia?
“Historic artifacts, like this quilt, tell their own stories,” Annmarie Reiley-Kay said, the director of the History Museums division of the Virginia Beach Cultural Affairs Department.
In fact, there has yet to be another quilt in this pattern discovered, making it extremely rare.
The Virginia Association of Museums' "Virginia's Top 10 Endangered Artifacts program" allows people to vote for a piece of history, with the chance of it getting the extra boost it needs financially to keep it safe and preserved as time goes on.
According to curators of The Thoroughgood House, the quilt is dry, brittle and acidic. It also has little wears and tears throughout that are compromising the integrity of the entire piece.
If the quilt is selected through the voting process, the museum will receive $1,000 to help with these issues.
This will keep a rare piece that gives a glimpse into the local and national history of fiber arts from continuing to fade away.
"The ‘Tree of Life’ pattern represents the family, roots, growth, security and fruits of nature; all concepts that a family struggling to survive in the emerging new country of the United States of America in the late 18th century would possess," Reiley-Kay said.
