Willis Reunion 2012 - "Oh Bess, What a Dress!"

As Cousin Susan Scott Neal was preparing the Journal for the 2012 Willis reunion in August, she asked me to send her what photos I had of Bessie Hiter Willis, my great-grandmother.  I sent two that she had seen and another one of my grandmother, Bessie Willis Freeman, wearing a dress her mother (my great-grandmother, Bettie Hiter Willis) had worn for a singing concert.  Susan immediately emailed back, wanting to know all about the dress.

I called my cousin, Robert (Bobz) Freeman, in Asheville, NC.  He thought the dress was in an old trunk that his brother Bill had.  I called Bill in Winston-Salem, NC.  He said Grandmama's wedding dress might be in there but he didn't think her mother's dress was there.

When Bill and his wife, Corty, arrived at the motel in Culpeper, he came in with a fairly large cardboard box.  Guess what it was!  Yes, it was THE dress!  He was afraid to touch it because he thought it would fall apart.  We lifted it out and were surprised at what good shape it was in.

I remembered a letter that Bessie Hiter Willis had written to her mother in 1869, in which she said her cousin was getting married and in this letter, she described the dress she'd like to have made to wear to this wedding.  This was the same dress she wore for a singing concert where she won a medal.  Her mother and their seamstress only had this written description to go on -- no drawing or photo.  The result is just phenomenal.

It was made by Mrs. Anderson and we think she might have worked out of the C.H. (court house) which was likely near Rock Spring, their home in Louisa County. She must have been the family seamstress?

The photo below is my grandmother, Bessie Willis Freeman, wearing her mother's dress which was worn in a singing contest.  Her mother was my great-grandmother, Bessie Hiter Willis.

The Willis Framily reunion in 2012 featured this photo in their journal with the caption, 
"Oh Bess, What a Dress!"

The historical costume professor from JMU, Pam Johnson, came to my house in Virginia to see the dress. She was fascinated and before I said a word, she said it looked like about 1870. The letter about the dress was written on November 17, 1869. She thinks the fabric is wool, although it feels much like cotton.

She's going to get acid free tissue paper and a special storage box.  She said a temporary display might work but not long term because it would deteriorate.  She would like to put it on a dress form long enough to take detailed photos to use in her classes. She knew all sorts of details about the features and said that Bessie Hiter Willis definitely wore a corset with it. It's possible that it was just after the hoop and bustle era but not necessarily. 

She would not recommend that it be cleaned and said the musty smell probably mostly came from the box. It isn't nearly as musty as it was at first. What a treasure it is!

The letter from Bessie Hiter Willis mentions a pattern and Pam said there were patterns for dresses like this.

She would love to have it as part of JMU’s collection, although she put no pressure in this regard. The only other really old dress she has is from the 1840s and this one is far nicer and in better condition. I know it would be revered at JMU.

The skirt

  This is the basque, which is a close-fitting bodice, sometimes having an extension that covers the hips.the extension of this bodice or of a doublet.

It turns out that the Culpeper Museum does have proper storage that is air conditioned and humidity controlled. 

It is now 2019 and Cousin Bill Freeman donated the dress to the Culpeper Museum.  When they "unveiled" it, they had an elegant wine and cheese party.  The director talked about the dress most of the evening.