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Fleur de lis finial from an old iron fence.
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Archaeology, Cultural Objects

Jacksonville Presbyterian Church Fence Post

People
Maker/Creator: Unknown
Date
Unknown
Places
Floyd (Courthouse District)
Material/Medium

Iron

Specifications
  • Length: 50 inches
  • Finial height: 6 ½ inches
  • Finial width: 4 inches
  • Base plate height: 2 ½ inches
Description

This single iron post was broken away from a section of fencing. Its finial is a fleur de lis pattern. The post is bolted to a fragment of the original base plate.

Keywords
Iron fencing, picket fence, fleur de lis
Notes

When Old Church Gallery first opened in the late 1970s, Catherine Pauley was concerned about a deteriorating section of sidewalk beside the historic Jacksonville Presbyterian Church (first home to the Gallery). She reported the walk to the proper authorities and was told that they would pour a replacement section of the walk as long as the Gallery first found someone to break up the old concrete. Catherine took on the project herself and was delighted when she exposed this piece of fencing. A resourceful crew had reused it to reinforce the concrete. Henry Dillon built the church building in 1850.  It is not known when the sidewalk was installed or whether fencing of this type was ever used around the building.