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

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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.

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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.

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Related Materials and Subjects

Subject Terms

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Series Descriptions and Folder Listing

 

1. Correspondence
box	folder
Request box
1	1	1912-1913
1	2	1915-1919
1	3	1920
1	4	1921
1	5	1922
1	6	1923
1	7	1924
1	8	1925
1	9	1926
1	10	1927
1	11	1928
1	12	1929
box	folder
Request box
2	1	1930
2	2	1931
2	3	1932
2	4	1933
2	5	1934
2	6	1935
2	7	1936
2	8	1937
2	9	1938
2	10	1939
box	folder
Request box
3	1	1940
3	2	1941
3	3	1942
3	4	1943
3	5	1944
3	6	1945
3	7	1946-1947
3	8	1948
3	9	1949
3	10	1950
3	11	1951
3	12	1952
3	13	1953
3	14	1954
3	15	1955
3	16	1956
3	17	1957
3	18	1958
3	19	1959
box	folder
Request box
4	1	1960
4	2	1961
4	3	1962
4	4	1963
4	5	1964
4	6	1965
4	7	1966
4	8	1967
4	9	1968
4	10	1969
4	11	1970
4	12	1971
4	13	1972-1973
4	14	Correspondence to and from Arabella's children, 1950-1972
4	15	Correspondence to others
4	16	Undated correspondence from Ophelia Dent
box	folder
Request box
5	1-6	Undated correspondence from Ophelia Dent
5	7-8	Undated correspondence from Miriam Dent
5	9	Undated correspondence from Miriam Cohen Dent (Maimie)
5	10	Undated correspondence from friends
5	11	Empty envelopes

 

2. Typescripts, Genealogy, Photographs, Recipes
box	folder
Request box
6	1	Typescripts by date, 1912-1929
6	2	Typescripts by date, 1930-1939
6	3	Typescripts by date, 1940-1949
6	4	Typescripts by date, 1950-1972
6	5	Typescripts with page numbers-undated correspondence
6	6	Typescripts with page numbers-undated correspondence (duplicate)
6	7	Genealogy
6	8	Photographs
6	9	Recipes
6	10	Printed material, poem, accounts, feathers
oversized_folder
Request oversized_folder
1A		Photograph by Sudy Leavy (Oversize)
			which was used in her book Hofwyl/Broadfield Plantation, page 125.