Date of Award
5-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Historic Preservation (MHP)
Department
Historic Preservation
Committee Chair/Advisor
Frances H. Ford
Committee Member
Jonathan Poston
Committee Member
Dr. Robert D. Russell, Jr.
Abstract
This study analyzes the work of Charleston stone carver William T. White in Magnolia Cemetery between 1850 and 1870. The purpose of this study is to survey the creations produced by a mid-nineteenth-century stone carver to better understand the patterns of iconographic styles and personalization of stones throughout his career. The attention of many cemetery studies in America is on the Northeast so focusing on the work of a Southerner’s work contributes to the regional gap in former studies. To perform this study, W. T. White’s signed stones were surveyed and documented throughout the cemetery using Esri’s ArcGIS Survey123, recording various properties of the stones such as the kind of inscription, their design, and iconography. Maps of the cemetery were sectioned regionally to navigate the grounds and understand patterns in the areas where White’s work is found. The results of this study found a majority of his stones were likely precut before they arrived at his stone yard, then personalized with the information regarding the interred and that he used iconography that aligned with the trends of cemetery motifs of the time period, revealing his awareness of what was popular during his career. The same year there was a peak in the number of his monuments, 1859, there was also a peak of the number of possible custom stones created by him, hypothesized by the uniqueness and intricacy of the stones and their iconography. The results of this study are important in understanding cemetery artwork during the period of study in general, as well as its contribution to Southern cemetery studies.
Recommended Citation
Nahman, Jacquelyn Elie, "Carved Wreaths and Mortuary Flowers: An Investigation of a Mid-Century Southern Stone Carver’s Work in Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, SC" (2024). All Theses. 4320.
https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/4320