Carpenter's Wheel

Carpenter's Wheel. On the Quilt Trail. , Quilter: Mrs. Una Welborn , Sponsor: Hagood-Mauldin House , The Carpenter's Wheel was a pattern used in the Underground Railroad to guide slaves to freedom. It also represents the fine carpentry that went into the building of the house in 1850 in Old Pickens on the banks of the Keowee River. When the town of Pickens was moved as part of the separation of Pickens and Oconee Counties, the building was dismantled, moved and reconstructed 14 miles to the east. , The last member of the Hagood family to live in the house was Frances Hagood Mauldin, “Miss Queen,” for whom the house is named. She organized the Fort Prince George Chapter of the DAR in 1920 and was the first regent. She also served as the state regent and Vice President of the National Society. Her father, Colonel James Earle Hagood, served as supply officer for Pickens District during the Civil War and as Clerk of Court in Pickens County. He also served as a Federal Court Judge. Miss Queen and her husband, Judge Thomas Joab Mauldin, entertained visitors frequently. The home is open to the public the third Saturday of each month, April-October. , Mrs. Una Welborn is the original quilter of this and has made several such Underground Railroad quilts, since joining the UpCountry Quilters Guild in 1992. She especially loves to hand quilt and traditional designs. Retired from South Carolina Bank, Wachovia and finally Wells Fargo, she's married to Harold Welborn who is retired from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Their families have lived in Pickens County since 1780 and were among the earliest settlers in the area. , Kenneth Nabors, President of the Pickens County Historical Society designed the frame for the quilt square. The design includes sharp points that complement the sharp points that are in the quilt pattern. The finial is carved from a section of a century old white oak tree that grew beside the Old Presbyterian Church near Lake Keowee.