From the July 18, 1967 edition of the Vineyard Gazette:

If anyone wants to see a community in action, he really ought to attend a church fair such as that held Wednesday by the women of the West Tisbury Congregational Church Improvement Society. Because of threatening weather in the early morning, the fair was held in the Agricultural Hall instead of at the parish house as originally planned.

I arrived at 1 o’clock to write about the various booths, and already at least 150 people were standing behind the rope waiting to get in. By 2 o’clock when the fair opened, the crowd had swelled to flood proportions; in fact when the rope was let down the wedges of advancing humanity, flowing down the sides of the hall, were enough to make strong men quail. The arrivals were all eager to buy, the only problem being to get within reaching distance of the tables.

One might ask, what do the members of the church and community donate to the fair: well, they donated old bottles, cut glass decanters, beautiful antique wooden framed mirrors, cut glass salt dishes, wooden fishnet mending needles, valuable dishes and pieces of silver services.

There was an exceptionally good set of antique silver flatware decorated with a grapevine motif. There was a wine lavabo, a celestial globe, a wood lemon squeezer, tortoise shell buckles, crockery jugs, and even a wooden butter churn. All these were at the Attic Treasures and Antiques Table. At the white elephant table there were old typewriters, old sewing machines, baby furniture, a small safe which I saw a small boy proudly purchasing, a mint condition kerosene stove, and lots of bird cages. There were baskets and wooden bowls of every description, size and function. At the bargain table, one could get a smocked gardening hat for a friend, decorated trays, puzzles, clothespin bags, and many other things.

The moppet shop had corn husk dolls (something so seldom seen these days), decorated jump ropes and felt bean bags, some lovely baby sweaters and bootees, head bands, some hand made dresses, and lots of little amphibious animals made from foam sponge which contained cakes of soap.

Next was the shellcraft table which had paperweights, shell-decorated toothpicks (surely the height of elegance for serving hors d’oeuvres) bands for straw hats, and lots and lots of various shells. It even had a spider shell which was brought back about 100 years ago by Capt. Granville Manter.

The art table contained some lovely, evocative photographs of Vineyard Scenes by Mr. and Mrs. Roger Engley, some of Dr. Sidney N. Riggs’ wood block prints, pictures of Vineyard fauna and flora, and scenes, by Miss Virginia Berresford, and Mrs. H. L. Thompson, to name two, and many other bits of art such as a lovely stoneware bowl.

The forte of the women is aprons, and they were of every hue and texture. Some in terry, some decorated with flowers, some with stripes and plaids, some in old fashioned calico, some the coverall type, and some for carrying clothespins, in fact for every conceivable function.

Also inside the hall, and worthy of particular note were two quilts, quilted by Miss Priscilla Hancock’s grandmother about a hundred years ago.

Outside were the flowers and plants. There were vases of arranged flowers, and vegetables, fruits and herbs, pots of petunias, marigolds, phlox and lemon geraniums, flora of all descriptions.

Upstairs was the food table — about thirty feet long — laden practically to the point of collapse with the bakings of many, many ovens. Everything from bread to pies, jams and jellies, salads, cakes, muffins, cookies, in fact all the calorific things that make life so enjoyable.

Upstairs also was the gift boutique with beautifully decorated velvet Christmas balls, net parasols and tea table covers, a crewel pillow, afghans, bed jackets, traveling cases, and a very good idea on Martha’s Vineyard — key chains with enormous decorations — for the beach.

The tea was held upstairs at tables covered with red and white table cloths, each with its own nosegay of flowers.

The final touch outside was the grabs table for boys and girls — all the grabs having been wrapped in the funnies section of various newspapers.

­— Virginia Jones

Yarrow is blooming again, and so it will be until fall. The flower-heads are flat-topped clusters, sometimes disagreeably described as oyster white; admirers prefer the phrase “weathered white,” as distinguished from any super-delicate shade. They are the color of an enduring life. Sometimes one finds a yarrow plant with pink or reddish flowers, and such a discovery is reward enough for any day or week. The rarity is not really startling but it is enough for a sort of connoisseuring thrill. If you know of such a plant, leave it, and keep an appointment with it next year, and the next. 

Compiled by Hilary Wallcox

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