Burow Museum Exhibits
The Burow Museum houses the Exchange Place archives and serves as an exhibit space to teach about Exchange Place and regional history. The museum honors long-time volunteers Dick and Suzanne Burow, who spearheaded the purchasing of additional acreage and the designation of Exchange Place as a living history farm.
Many of the logs used for the building came from the Gaines-Anderson House, originally located on Stone Drive in the Arcadia community. The oldest part of the house was built in 1796 by Ambrose Gaines, a relative of John Gaines. In the 1940’s, the whole structure was moved several hundred yards during the construction of Stone Drive. In 2015, it was dismantled and moved to Exchange Place. It has been reconstructed in the “dog-trot” style with a breezeway between the two pens.
In the North Room: Celebrating the Heritage Craft of Weaving
Highlighting this exhibit, curated by the Overmountain Weavers Guild, are two rare Appalachian rocker beater looms, which Guild members have restored and are now using to weave curtains for the Main House. On the walls in this room is a colorful display of yarn dyed naturally from plants, many from the Exchange Place gardens.
The glass case of the North Room contains part of the story of the box of antique draft weaving instructions that Suzanne Burow received when she picked up the first loom for Exchange Place (now in the girls bedroom). Included is a sample woven from the only draft with a swatch, and a note that $1.50 was received for the weaving, probably for a christening outfit. The woven antique draft pieces which inspired what is currently being woven on the room’s rocker beater looms are also in the glass case.
In the South Room: Glimpse into 19th Century Life Through Preston Family Treasures
In 1970, when the Preston family heirs donated these seven and one-half acres of farm as a memorial to the Preston family and preservation of early Tennessee history, they also gave many family pieces associated with the Preston family when they lived at Exchange Place. These family pieces are displayed here for the first time.
Also in this exhibit are dolls from the collections of Billee Moore and Suzanne Burow, and a cobbler’s bench donated by Betty White.
The Overmountain Weavers Guild curated a special exhibit of pieces from the OMWG’s 50th Anniversary Challenge and pieces honoring Suzanne Burow, a founding member of the guild. When Suzanne picked up the first loom for Exchange Place, she was offered a box of “drafts” (instructions for warping a loom) that had belonged to Lucinda Phillips (1821-1903). There were 70 drafts in all, each rolled around a bamboo tube and tied with linen and cotton thread. Many of the drafts, including the “Morning Star” pattern drawn by Lucinda’s daughter and the “Counter Pin” draft from her mother-in-law, have been woven by members of the OMWG and are on display. Perhaps the most interesting is the “Huckerback Draft” given to Lucinda by her sister-in-law before she left for Iowa and which aptly contains the phrase, “When this you see, remember me.”
The mission of Exchange Place Living History Farm is to preserve and interpret the heritage of mid-19th century farm life in Northeast Tennessee. A private, non-profit organization, Exchange Place is maintained and operated primarily by volunteers and is supported by donations, fundraisers, memberships, and grants.
Exchange Place
4812 Orebank Rd,
Kingsport, TN 37664
423-288-6071