Scout creates costumes for re-enactors

Combining her love of history and her talent for sewing, Maggie Thorpe, a member of BSA Troop 543G, has made costumes for re-enactors at Historic Joanna Furnace as her Eagle Scout service project.

Maggie and her fellow troop members gathered in the Mule Stable at Joanna Furnace on Feb. 25 to sew the costumes with help from adult seamstresses and Hay Creek Valley Historical Association (HCVHA) volunteers.

"Right now, Historic Joanna Furnace has many costumes in some sizes but lacks many (smaller) sizes for young people, which has made it difficult for the upcoming generation to get involved," said Maggie. "We made historical garments to fill out Joanna Furnace's costume bank, which is lent out to re-enactors. We made eight short gowns and four shifts and three caps. All of these were completed and taken directly to the costume bank before we left."

Maggie, 17, a senior homeschooled student, has been a volunteer re-enactor at Historic Joanna Furnace since she was a youngster, working at the HCVHA Fall Festival and Apple Festival. "I have been involved for quite a long time. I remember I started at the candle-making stand," she said. "I worked there for three to five years and moved on to helping at the open fire cooking (area). I love historic dress and living history."

While volunteering as a teen, Maggie wore a costume that she made herself. "(Volunteering) motivated me to start sewing," she stated. "My grandmom taught me some of the basics, and I have gone through a few lessons with a woman at my church who is a seamstress."

Maggie came up with the idea of completing the project in November 2022 and then contacted Mark Zerr, executive director of the HCVHA, for guidance. She also had to have the project approved by the adult committee of Troop 543G, which meets at Robeson Evangelical Lutheran Church, as well as the Hawk Mountain Council, BSA.

Then, she collected donations of fabric. "(We had to use) natural fibers, something that portrayed the late 18th century," Maggie noted. "I got the patterns from an online store, Burnley and Trowbridge, which specializes in reproduction fabrics and patterns for re-enactors."

Maggie is currently completing the final paperwork for her project. She is appreciative of her fellow Scouts who helped with the sewing. "Usually we do a fundraiser at the Apple Festival. Last year, we sold cupcakes, which was pretty successful," she said. "This year, the girls will be able to look around and see the costumes we made and say, 'We worked on that one.'"