In working order at the Pioneer Village,Stephens Memorial Museum, Salem, Indiana
|
| At Left: Wide view of front-right side of loom. The counterbalanced shedding system consists of two pullies, four heddle horses, four shafts, and four treadles. The loom was originally an old-fashion hanging beater loom, that was later converted to a rocker beater loom. The overhead cantilevers were trimmed back and the beater inverted. At Right: Detail view of rocker. Blocks of wood have been placed adjacent to the loom frame and secured for rocker mounts. Rockers are kept in place by the peg-and-hole method. There are four pegs on the under side of each rocker, and corresponding holes in the rocker mounts. In 1823, this loom was transported to Washington County, Indiana, from Rowan County, North Carolina, by Henry Ratts Jr.. The family was wealthy (owned plantation and slaves), and Henry was well educated. He was a member of the North Carolina House of Commons, and became a Justice of Peace in Indiana. The loom remained in the Ratts family until it was donated to the museum by Henry's great-great-great grandaughter. She remembered the loom as always having been used in one of the outbuildings. It is now being used in the museum for weaving demonstrations. Link to Pioneer Village website: http://salemdepot.com/pioneer-village.html |
