Field Trip

My beau has been away on business all week and I've been cooped up in the house doing who-knows-what in his absence. I like having time to myself, it gives me time to be my only child self and do what I want to do- problem was, I couldn't figure out exactly what that I wanted to do! For a bit, I was lamenting the fact that there are no lovely old houses to tour or historic things to see (that I hadn't already seen) in the immediate surrounding area, but then I remembered Yopp's. 

In the three years I've lived here, I've driven by this place more times than I can count and it never occurred to me to stop and explore. The meeting house is situated fairly close to the road and it's distinctive style, with those Gothic style vents over the doors, always caught my eye. 

I wasn't sure (I'm still not entirely positive) that this was a spot open to the public, but since there was a sign at the road that said "Open 8- " and nothing (that I saw) that said no trespassing, I figured I could stop and explore. During my visit, no one stopped in to scold me off the property, or do some exploring of their own; 

I had the place to myself.

The building is fairly plain and is thought to have been constructed in the 1890s, however there had been a similar type building on the property since the early 1800s. The early meeting house was a nondenominational, nonsegregated church but eventually became an exclusively Primitive Baptist place of worship.
This building is currently unused and restoration is ongoing.

I believe the site will be used as a museum once restoration is completed.

The meeting house is surrounded on three sides by graves that span the last few centuries. Many graves trail off into the woods, at the rear of the meeting house, nearly to the edge of brackish water.

 Visiting this cemetery reminded me of my visit last fall to a cemetery in Leadville, Colorado. As in the Colorado cemetery, you get the sense that families laid their loved ones to rest among the pines, in no particular order, just where ever they saw fit.... 

I enjoy a nice stroll through a cemetery, or in this case a careful one (I was worried about snakes), to admire the headstones and to learn about history and people that came before.Visiting this cemetery was an education in local history as I saw family names engraved on headstones that are still prominent names in this area today.

I was struck by how vastly different the headstones were from one another- some ornately carved, while others, like the one below, appear to be engraved by a less experienced hand. The stone below had a matching stone right next to it, perhaps Ed's wife? I have to wonder if these stones were a labor of love created by a family member or perhaps by Ed's own hand. 

The stones below were towards the back of the property. The headstone on the right has a bird carved into it near the top; this decorative protrusion is the reason for the black and white appearance of this stone, as the bird has protected the center of the stone from weather.

The stone below had the earliest birth date I spotted, and it was nestled back against the tree line and tall grass but had been neatly trimmed around.

Nature tries hard here to claim anything that does not move. The various mosses and vines give it their best to grow over what they can, and do so quickly with all the fair weather. Nature is trying here, but, just as they have for the last two hundred years, people continue to care for this plot of land and the meeting house that stands on it. That's pretty remarkable. 

. . .

Outtakes:

As I was leaving, I couldn't help but snap a couple more pictures at what had become of my hair over the course of my explorations. I spent roughly a half hour, perhaps three-quarters of an hour, wandering about after I snapped a few photos of myself in the doorway (shown at the beginning of this post). I'm quite certain that, like the vine in the window, the regular destruction of my hairstyles is how mother nature is asserting herself over me.... that said, being hurricane season and all, we'll let her have the hair.

Blouse: Mrs. Bolton's (I think it's a dress she cut in half!) also worn here.

Skirt: JJill sale (five years ago?!) also worn here. 

Belt: Included with a pair of department store shorts I bought ages ago

Shoes: Cheapest "skin tone" loafers I could find on Amazon.com 

(Ok, technically the color is "ice," but hey, I'm a pasty gal)

New hairstyle: Courtesy of my own two hands.... I'd like to go shorter, but I'm yella', as they say.

If you're still reading at this point, bravo! You've endured! 

Thanks for allowing me to be your Damn Yankee tour guide.... y'all come back now.




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Happy Sailing