THE MURAL
Tar Heel History
In the Mural Manner
By W. B. WRIGHT
The three panels of the colorful
mural painting encompass a space 42
feet wide by 6 feet high in the Orange
County Historical Museum at Hillsbor¬
ough — and then illuminate the excit¬
ing events of three important eras in
Orange County's early history.
Titled “The Freedom Road,” the
murals were painted by Kenneth W.
Whitsett, of Charlotte, who believes
this project may point the way to new
possibilities in vivifying county history:
“The Orange County Museum Board,”
he says, “is the first civic group, to my
knowledge, to conceive the idea of tell¬
ing their county's history in paintings,
and to actually raise sufficient funds to
carry the work through.”
In this day, when interest in local
history has been steadily mounting, the
Orange County project may serve as a
model for other efforts. “Any one of
North Carolina's 100 counties should
do the same,” says Whitsett.
Mural paintings are ideally suited to
helping modern citizens, particularly
younger people, achieve a clearer idea
of the color and action of historic
events. Since photographs or drawings
are often lacking, the artist in his con¬
ception makes use of written descrip¬
tions, portraits, and costumes of the
era; and in some instances (as in Hills¬
borough) he has some of the old build¬
ings still in existence to work with.
Kenneth WhiLsell is the North Caro¬
linian best qualified for such a role;
as a muralist of historical subjects he is
without peer in this state. An avid stu¬
dent of the Revolutionary Period, his
works have dramatized numerous fac¬
ets of Carolina history.
But the Hillsborough murals were
the ones which afforded him greatest
satisfaction. “They called for much re¬
search. You study everything you can
find written; run down portraits; study
costumes, avoiding stereotyped clothes;
ignore powdered hair, lace and expen¬
sive clothes. You study colonial rec¬
ords for building descriptions. And you
Kenneth W. Whitsett
come up with something really North
Carolinian.”
Whitsett’s accomplishments have run
the gamut from cartooning to archi¬
tectural drafting to engraving. He
studied art at the Minneapolis Art In¬
stitute and the Academy of Fine Arts
in Chicago; was artist and designer of
the sets and costumes for the outdoor
dramas Shout Freedom! and Voice in
the Wilderness. Now, busy as always at
age 73, he is designing sets and cos¬
tumes in historical detail for the Char¬
lotte Bi-Centennial,
His interest in murals goes back to
the time when, employed as an archi¬
tectural draftsman, he became ab¬
sorbed in the work of two inlcrna-
tionally-famous American muralists,
Kenyon Cox and E. H, Blashfield. But,
he found, “North Carolina was not
ready for such paintings until after
World War II.”
He recalls, “In 1949, Art Jones, then
vice-president of the American Trust
Company (now' North Carolina Na¬
tional Bank) commissioned me to paint
a mural 61 Vi x 10 feet high. I sug-
( Continued on page 22)
1. Highlights of Orange County’s colonial
history include people and events pictured
in mural panel at right, John Lawson visits
the region in 1701. Early settlers about
1 748. Some of the oppressive acts of Gov¬
ernor William Tryon’s high sheriff, Ed¬
mund Fanning, culminated in opposition by
aroused citizens, who under the name of
"'Regulators" fought Tryon’s royal militia
at the Battle of Alamance in 1771. The
Regulators were defeated and six of their
leaders were hanged at Hillsborough. Bot¬
tom, center, Daniel Boone is shown as he
starts on his journey into Kentucky from
Hillsborough.
2. In less that eight months Orange
County supplied the needs of three armies.
Baron DeKalb came in June 1780 to train
and equip an army that was sacrificed in
August by the blundering General Gates
at Camden, South Carolina. In November
General Greene’s army came into the re¬
gion. And in February 1781 came lord
Cornwallis with his British Redcoats to be
replinished. Orange citizens had to give up
their remaining cattle, horses, _ and food
supplies and toil as tailors, spinners, and
shoemakers. But they fought several skir¬
mishes against the invaders. In one fight
Light Horse Harry Lee’s l egion killed 90 of
Captain Pyle’s Tories, with no American
lost, After the departure of the British,
Hillsborough was raided during the night
by the notorious Tory', David Fanning, who
captured Governor Burke at his home and
carried him prisoner to the British forces at
Wilmington.
3. When the North Carolina convention
to consider the proposed Constitution for
the United States met in July 1788 in
Hillsborough, the Anti-Federalists, led by
Willie Jones (right center) were in the ma¬
jority. They were opposed to ratifying the
Constitution unless certain amendments,
later to be known as the Bill of Rights,
were included. Jn the vote, the Federalists,
led by William R. Davie (left center) and
others prominent in the Revolutionary pe¬
riod. lost by the vote of 84 yeas to 184
nays. The opening session at Hillsborough,
then the North Carolina capita), is pictured
here. Most of the figures are from old
portraits. The Convention met in old St.
Matthews’ church, then located on site of
present-dav Presbyterian church (org. 1816).
William Hooper, signer of the Declaration
of Independence, is portrayed in center
left.
1Z
THE STATE, APRIL 15, 196S
