An Example of Continuity - East Hampton Star 1981

With the Chapel in the background, some members of the Sewing Society show off the afghan to be awarded Saturday. From left, standing, they are Betty Wilson, Carrie D’Andrea, Lucia Peckham, Nancy McCaffrey and Peggy D’Andrea. Patricia D’Andrea and Mary Niggles are seated.

One of the many facets of the “quality of life “often mentioned in discussing small town living is continuity. People who live in a small town take passing things along for granted, but two people from impersonal cities, it is a quality to be envied.
A great example of this continuity is the Wainscott Sewing Society, which has functioned continuously since 1869. Women who work with the society now are the children who were mentioned in the secretary's reports in the 20s, 30s, and 40s. Some are even the grandchildren. One secretary's report from 1940 mentions having young Lawrence Osborn mow the chapel lawn. Lawrence's wife is the treasurer of the society now.
Lucia Peckham remembers when the Sewing Society met every Wednesday. She and her friends would leave school at noon and join their mothers at the Wainscott Chapel for lunch, then go back to school while their mothers worked during the afternoon.
Originally formed to sew for charity, and to collect and repair used clothing for organizations such as the Salvation Army, the Sewing Society now devotes its energies to the preservation of the Chapel, to which it took title in 1953.
Although the chapel was never consecrated, it was used for religious meetings in the early part of the century. It was originally built in 1891 as the Bridgehampton School. When Bridgehampton built a new school in 1908, the building was moved to Wainscott and placed on land owned by Oliver Osborn.

Evening Prayer Meetings
The building was used for community services and gatherings. Mrs. Peckham remembers attending Sunday school there around 1915, she and her parents went to evening prayer meetings there, as did many of the community. She mentioned that, during the summer, a missionary who summered in the area (having married a local girl), often preached a sermon and led the hymn singing. The chapel has served the community ever since. This Sewing Society continues to meet in it's big room, as does Alcoholics Anonymous, the Board of Elections uses the Chapel as a polling place.
 By 1979, though, the Chapel had begun to look distinctly seedy. The balcony around the little tower was falling off, and the roof leaked badly. But the Sewing Society hadn't the funds to give it’s home a thorough restoration.
So a fund drive began. The goal was $18,000. Repairs to the tower alone cost $6,500; then there was the new roof, and coats of paint.  Letters were sent to every resident of Wainscott, year-round and summer alike. Other letters went across the country to people with Wainscott in their histories or their hearts, phone calls followed. And the goal was almost realized. But the fundraising goes on as there are continuing fuel bills and upkeep costs to cover each year.
 In the past, a summer fair was the principal way of earning money for the work of the society. There were booths of flowers, toys, old handiwork. And there was always a quilt. Almost every report in the old secretaries’ books mentions women gathering to work on a quilt, or on rug fabric. The rag rugs were big sellers at the fairs. According to Augusta Osborn, members would fold the strips of fabric and sew them together end-to-end, then wind them in balls. They were so colorful, she said. “We made it a point to mix the colors so the rugs would be bright and cheerful.”   Then the balls of fabric were sent over to Watermill to a man who wove them into rugs.

 Scissors Caper
  Mrs. Osborn also remembers the day the women had quilted for hours when her mother-in-law discovered that her scissors were missing. The woman searched and searched, and found the scissors have been quilted into the quilt. They had to rip out a whole square to remove them.
The fairs were discontinued in the late 1960s. There just weren't enough women interested in working on rugs and quilts and other hand-sewn items. As Mrs. Osborn, who was secretary for 30-some years, remarked, “Things run their course.” But they bounce back, too.

Now the money-maker is a bake sale. Although some members haven't the time to attend every meeting, and though they don't also of fine seam, they all come through at baking time. Mrs. Osborn noted that a group can always sell food. People, she told us, love home-baked goods. They used to line up for the baked goods at our Fair, she said.
Along with the bake sales, there are contests in the works. Recently, members have been at the Wainscott Post Office on Saturday mornings selling tickets for a hand crocheted Afghan, made by Mrs. Peckham. The Afghan, in shades of yellow, will be giving away on August 22nd. Tickets will be sold that morning at the post office, as well as at the bake sale. And you can buy them from any member.
In the meantime, every member of the group is sewing a square for a quilt, to be ready next summer. The pattern is known variously as Sherman's March, Monkey Wrench, and Hole in the Barn Door.

New Additions
One of the first events for the community after the money had been raised, and the renovations done, was a covered dish supper, with a special Christmas Show by the school children. Some of the mothers banded together last year and held a Halloween party for all the children in Wainscott. The youngsters paraded down Main Street and their costumes, to the Delight of passers-by.
The chapel is not completely redecorated. In fact, the inside has not been tampered with at all, except for some new artwork and a Roll of Honor for those from Wainscott who served in World Wars 1 and 2. The Honor Roll was built by Bob Baxter, who designed and constructed it from wood. The names were painted by Mr. Collum, then Mr. Baxter cut them out, painstakingly one by one. Nailed in place with the assistance of Betty Wilson and Barbara Meyer (who was in the habit of escorting all her visitors to the basement to see the work was coming along).
Three new artworks by the late Syl LeBron, will hang inside the Chapel. They were donated to the Sewing Society by Mr. LeBron’s widow, whose mother is the treasurer of the Society.
The Rejuvenation of the chapel has put new life into the membership of the sewing Society, too. Although it has never disbanded, membership and attendance had to climb through the years. But a common goal brought everyone together - and the daughters and granddaughters of those original Hedges, Conklin, Osborn, and strong, (and many others) ladies are carrying on the tradition.

—BY JEANNE VOORHEES, EAST HAMPTON STAR, AUGUST 20, 1981