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This month’s story from the Cumberland Historical Society is a tale of two dresses, really. One is a wedding dress and the other could be described as an inaugural gown. Both are currently on display at the Cumberland Museum. So what do these two pieces of clothing have to do with our history? Let’s go one at a time. 

The wedding dress has been shared by multiple brides. It was first worn by Emily Susan Turpin (1829-1906) at her wedding to John Alexander Christopher Thomas Morris McRae (1816-1905). It was worn a second time at the marriage of Juliet Emily McRae, as she married George Reid Calhoun III on Oct. 21, 1933. The lovely dress was altered some and again worn by Sue Jolly McRae on October 1, 1949 at her marriage to Charles Wilder Watts and again on July 5, 1963 by Juliet Emily Calhoun at her marriage to Robert Denney Patrick.  

The wedding of Juliet Calhoun

Looking through the archives, the Cumberland Historical Society found a story about the wedding of Juliet Emily Calhoun, which states the following about the dress. Bride Pledges Vows in Heirloom Wedding Gown—When Juliet Emily Calhoun and Robert Denney Patrick exchanged their marriage vows on Friday, July 5 in St. Phillips Episcopal Church, Laurel, Delaware. 

She was wearing a bridal  gown of heavy silk bengaline and lace aged to the color of champagne. The dress was first worn by the bride’s maternal great grandmother for her marriage in Richmond, Virginia in 1864. It was later worn by her mother, Juliet McRae Calhoun and her aunt, Sue McRae Watts. Her vail was a lace mantilla and she carried white orchids and stephanotis. 

And we mentioned a second dress. This one dates back t0 1889, when Elizabeth Rowena McRae was invited to the inauguration of President Benjamin Harrison. This dress is the one she wore to the inaugural ball that week. 

There is also a Second Day Dress which is not displayed but hopefully will be soon as it needs some work. These dresses were donated to the Cumberland Historical Society and the two that are displayed are housed in beautiful dress cabinets donated to the museum by Elizabeth McRae Dudley. The McRaes lived in Cumberland County for many years. 

More about the Cumberland Historical Society

The Cumberland Historical Society does not meet during the summer months and the next meeting will be in October 2024.  The Cumberland Museum is not open everyday but can be open by appointment if someone needs to come in and do research in the group’s many books. The society always welcomes new members and hopes that young people will take an interest in the history of the county.