Antique piece from Gaineswood featured in story by Alabama Historical Commission

An antique silver epergne from Demopolis was featured in a recent story by the Alabama Historical Commission (AHC) highlighting artifacts from the state's history. 

Pronounced eh-PURN the epergne comes from the Gaineswood building once inhabited by the Whitfield family in Demopolis. 

An epergne, according to the AHC, is a centerpiece often placed on dinner tables to display flowers, fruits and other foods. They were produced with multiple candle holders to light the room. 

They were frequently a part of a party or banquet, first emerging from England and France during the 1700s and becoming more common in the Victorian era. 

The Whitfield family began building the mansion that would go on to be named Gaineswood in 1843. Gaineswood was completed 18 years later.