Aggie Jones

Woman by Herbert Freeman photo by Brandon Telg

Lindsey Wenzell purchased this piece while visiting downtown a couple of nights ago.  Besides buying a great picture she reports that she was stopped and asked by three different people if the piece was by Herbert Freeman.

Today I discovered this article in the Orlando Sentinel from 2003 about Aggie Jones.

Aggie Jones was born a slave in Tatnall County, Ga. and moved with her owners to the Lake City (then known as Alligator) area in Florida.  After emancipation she moved to Lake City and worked as a domestic.  Eventually she was able to purchase some land on Lake Desoto where she grew flowers and vegetables.

She later created a garden with white sand pathways and fantastic  arches, trellises, and border ways created out of bones that were wired together.  Her garden became a popular destination for visitors.  The Bone Yard flourished as one of Florida’s earliest attractions from 1900 to Aggie’s death in 1918.

Aggie Jones

When searching for images for this post I found this quilt constructed by Teddy Pruett inspired by the postcard above.

Quilt by Teddy Pruett