Next Saturdays story for The Laurinburg Exchange. They will not post them on their web page, so you can say that you saw it here first 😄 The Summer House Last week we were laying the mortal remains of a former Laurinburg resident to rest in the old section of Hillside Cemetery. His family was amongst the first residents of Laurinburg, and their name was once prominent upon many local businesses: Covington Bros. Hardware, Covington Supply Co., Covington Redi-Mix, etc., today they bear the name of a street that runs from the far eastern side of the city to the far western side, and on that street stands a primary school that bears their name. Nearby from where our service would be in the old section of the cemetery - but now long gone - stood the old Summer House, an octagon shaped, Victorian styled building with a metal roof and lattice features sitting prominently amongst the rows of granite and marble memorials to those who have completed their earthly journeys. The Summer House was constructed in the late 1880s or early 1890s and was a rather popular gathering place on Sunday afternoons in the summer, late spring, or early autumn. To fully understand its use and attraction, one must first understand life during the Victorian era and the first quarter of the 20th century - and admittedly with all of our electronic devices, modes of transportation, and conveniences - it my be next to impossible for many to remotely visualize those times. Imagine Laurinburg in 1890: electricity was new and very few were fortunate enough to have it in their homes. Most depended upon kerosine lamps, wood burning stoves/fireplaces or coal burning fireplaces. Running water meant that someone ran out to the pump, filed up a bucket and brought it back to the house. Luxury plumbing meant that you had a hand pump on your back porch. The bathroom was the privy in the back yard or the covered bucket in the bedroom. Of course telephones and radios were unheard of, or they were simply faint dreams. The best and most valued communications occurred when you met with others - face to face. Going shopping was impossible, as a combination of traditions and laws meant that no business was open on this day of rest. Sunday mornings meant Sunday school and church services for most families who walked to the church of their choice. If they went by horse, buggy, or wagon they went on dirt streets and roads, as nothing was paved. Sunday dinner - as the mid-day meal was called - was always at home or perhaps with other family members or even with friends. Sunday afternoon meant sitting around and talking or in warmer weather or going to Hillside Cemetery and eventually to the Summer House. The first stop at Hillside Cemetery was probably at the graves of family members or friends. It was a time to pause and reflect and perhaps pull up some weeds or long grass and leave a wildflower. Then it was follow the music to the Summer House. The Summer House contained a raised stage near the center of the cemetery and that stage would often be filled with local musicians playing violins, violas, wind instruments, and drums. Blankets would be laid out over the grounds and dozens, if not hundreds would enjoy the music and socialize with their friends and neighbors. As Laurinburg moved into the 1920s and telephones, radios, electricity, indoor plumbing moved into many homes, and the few, but fortunate, had the new mode of transportation: the automobiles, Sunday concerts at the Summer House in Hillside Cemetery began to fade. The stage was dismantled and lattice filled in the once open sides as the Summer House became a storage house for cemetery maintenance equipment. By the late 1960s the Summer House had fallen into ruins and was demolished. On that third Saturday in December, 2014 I stood at the former location of the Summer House with a cold, light rain falling. At my feet was a large, rough granite rock that was once the first step to the stage, and surrounding it were monuments to local citizens who lived in the 1800s and early 1900s. As I turned to leave for the 10:30 graveside service, the warm feeling of summer over came over me, the almost visual sight of people dressed in Victorian styles of 115 years ago appeared as faint ghosts, and clarinets, trumpets, and violins were playing some of the old hymns of the past era. History is still alive . . . in the cemetery.
Posted on: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 23:36:07 +0000
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