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Arabella Clark Cleveland collection

Arabella Clark Cleveland collection

Descriptive Summary

Title: Arabella Clark Cleveland collection
Creator: Dent family
Inclusive Dates: 1912-1973
Language(s): English
Extent: 2.5 Linear Feet 6 document boxes, 1 oversized folder
Collection Number: ms3407
Repository: Hargrett Library

Collection Description

Historical Note

The Dent family, Ophelia (1886-1973) was a teacher at Wykeham Rise School for Girls in Washington, CT; and sister Miriam (1883-1953) operated a dairy farm on Hofwyl Plantation in Brunswick, Georgia; brother Gratz (1881-1932), and their parents Miriam "Maimie" (1850-1931) and James (1848-1913), lived at Hofwyl Plantation near Brunswick, Georgia.

Wykeham Rise School for Girls was founded in Washington, Connecticut by Fanny Emma Davies in 1902.

Arabella Clark Cleveland (b. 1903?) was a student at Wykeham Rise School for Girls (Washington, CT) in 1912. There she met Ophelia Dent (1886-1973), a teacher, and they corresponded until Ophelia's death in 1973. Arabella was a frequent visitor to Hofwyl, the Dent plantation, and was considered as part of the family. She lived in Duxbury, Massachusetts and worked in an antique shop. In 1936 she married Arthur C. "Punch" Cleveland, Jr. (d. 1950) and they lived at Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. They had two children, Arthur "Case" Cleveland, III (b. 1937) and Arabella "Belle" (1938-2008). Artist Andrew Wyeth was a neighbor and Arabella helped to sell his paintings.

Scope and Content

The collection consists of letters to Arabella Cleveland from the Dent family and a few other friends, although the majority of the letters are from Ophelia. After their father's death, Miriam and Ophelia operated a dairy on the plantation, and the letters describe daily life on the plantation including weather, the Hofwyl dairy, food, flowers, servants, family dogs and poignant letters about their deaths, social events, travel, antiques, sewing and clothes. Ophelia often visited the Belins at their home Evermay (Washington, DC) and the DuPonts at their estate Longwood (Kennett Square, PA). The Dents were friends with the Haynes family at Ashantilly, the Huston family at Butler Plantation and the Phillips family in Savannah.


Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Arabella Clark Cleveland collection, ms3407, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries.

Finding Aid Publication

Finding aid prepared on: 2010 March 22.


Related Materials and Subjects

Subject Terms

Belin family
Brunswick (Ga.)
Cleveland, Arabella Clark, 1903?-
Correspondence.
Dairy farming -- Georgia -- Brunswick.
Dent family
Du Pont family
Haynes family
Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation (Ga.)
Houstoun family
Phillips family
Plantation owners -- Georgia.
Plantations -- Georgia.
Recipes.
Savannah (Ga.) -- Buildings, structures, etc.
Typescripts.
Wykeham Rise School for Girls -- Faculty--Correspondence

Series Descriptions and Folder Listing

 

1. Correspondence

boxfolder
111912-1913
121915-1919
131920
141921
151922
161923
171924
181925
191926
1101927
1111928
1121929
boxfolder
211930
221931
231932
241933
251934
261935
271936
281937
291938
2101939
boxfolder
311940
321941
331942
341943
351944
361945
371946-1947
381948
391949
3101950
3111951
3121952
3131953
3141954
3151955
3161956
3171957
3181958
3191959
boxfolder
411960
421961
431962
441963
451964
461965
471966
481967
491968
4101969
4111970
4121971
4131972-1973
414Correspondence to and from Arabella's children, 1950-1972
415Correspondence to others
416Undated correspondence from Ophelia Dent
boxfolder
51-6



Undated correspondence from Ophelia Dent

57-8



Undated correspondence from Miriam Dent

59



Undated correspondence from Miriam Cohen Dent (Maimie)

510



Undated correspondence from friends

511



Empty envelopes

 

2. Typescripts, Genealogy, Photographs, Recipes

boxfolder
61Typescripts by date, 1912-1929
62Typescripts by date, 1930-1939
63Typescripts by date, 1940-1949
64Typescripts by date, 1950-1972
65Typescripts with page numbers-undated correspondence
66Typescripts with page numbers-undated correspondence (duplicate)
67Genealogy
68Photographs
69Recipes
610Printed material, poem, accounts, feathers
oversized_folder
1APhotograph by Sudy Leavy (Oversize)
which was used in her book Hofwyl/Broadfield Plantation, page 125.