Rose of Sharon

This quilt was made for Thomas Griffin during his youth in Abbeville, SC. While the maker of this elegant and finely crafted, block-style appliqué quilt with chintz border remains a mystery, a great deal is known about the person for whom it was made. Griffin fought in and lost his left arm during the Civil War. A graduate of South Carolina College, he went on to serve as a teacher in Greenwood and Abbeville Counties. After retiring, he lived with his niece in Greenville, SC.

Before departing, he presented his library as a gift to the Connie Maxwell Orphanage’s Edward P. McKissick Library in Greenwood. The quilt was passed down to his niece and—through her—to the family from which the Museum acquired the quilt.