Birthplace of Mother's Day

February 8, 2019

A piece of paper, attached to the quilt, gives an acknowledgement to the person who donated it.

On the outskirts of Grafton, West Virginia, at 284 Pearl Felton Lane, sits an unassuming white frame house that has found its place in history as the house of Ann Reeves Jarvis, and the birthplace of Anna Jarvis - the founder, and creator of Mother’s Day. This tiny house is now a museum dedicated to Anna Jarvis, and the entire Jarvis family. But the museum, the house, and the land surrounding it, is steeped in Civil War history, early Civil Rights, the Underground Railroad, and a history of  acceptance, and human rights.
Ann Reeves Jarvis was an activist. During the Civil War Ann was on the side of the Union, geographically, but she took no actual sides in the war. In fact, it was during the Civil War that the grass roots of, what was to become Mother’s Day, had begun to grow even deeper. Ann Reeves Jarvis had created “Mother’s Day Work Clubs”, in 1858, prior to the beginning of the War. These groups were created while Ann was pregnant with her sixth child, to improve health and sanitary conditions in Taylor County, West Virginia. This was part of an existing, and growing public health movement throughout the United States. Their mission was to provide assistance, and education to families - primarily to reduce disease, which was the primary cause of infant mortality. The clubs raised money to purchase medicines, and to hire women to work with expectant mothers who were experiencing health problems.


Photographs of Union soldiers occupy a section of tis original desk in the Ann Reeves Jarvis house. Also ration tickets, and a newspaper headline adorn the desk.

When the Civil War broke out, Ann declared her neutrality, and she urged the clubs to do the same. The Jarvis house is located on what had been one of the largest Union encampments in West Virginia, during the war. Within her house Union officers drew battle plans, and engaged in strategic planning. But through it all, Ann remained neutral; so much so that when the Methodist Church proposed to have a split, into southern and a northern branches, Ann (a staunch Methodist) refused to support it. The war brought about a need for the Mother’s Day Clubs to alter their mission, to meet the changing needs brought on by the war. Under her guidance, the clubs fed, and clothed soldiers from both sides.

Near the end of the war, the Jarvis family moved to the town of Grafton, West Virginia, several miles away. Still strongly involved with the Methodist Church, Ann oversaw the construction of the Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church, which still stands along Main Street, in Grafton. Their she continued to teach Sunday School classes. Ann was also a prolific, and well regarded public speaker.
According to the recollection of Anna Jarvis - the daughter of Ann Reeves Jarvis, It was in 1876, when her mother was “praying for someone” to memorialize and honor Mother’s, during a Sunday School lesson. Then, on the first anniversary of Anna Reeves Jarvis’ death, her daughter, Anna Jarvis met with friends to discuss creating a memorial service to rememberer mother for the next year. In May 1907, a private service was held in honor.  In 1908, Anna Jarvis organized the first official observance of Mother’s Day - which fell near the anniversary of her mother’s death. This observance was held at the Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia.
After years of trying to have Mother’s Day recognized as an official holiday, in the United States, she realized success in1914, when U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signed a congressional resolution declaring that the second Sunday in May be the national Mother’s Day, and called for all Americans to recognize this day by displaying the American Flag.
The Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church still stands along Main Street, in Grafton, West Virginia. But now it is the official Mother’s Day Shrine.
The Anna Reeves Jarvis house, has been established as a museum dedicated to the history of Ann Reeves Jarvis, as well as Anna Jarvis.

A crawl Space, hidden beneath the rope rug that covers a large portion of the kitchen floor, in the Anna Reaves Jarvis house.

A guided tour of the house gives a great window into the importance of the Jarvis family, but especially the importance of Anna, and her mother. The tour begins in the kitchen. Underneath the large rope rug is a small door in the floor. During the time of slavery, and the Underground Railroad, the tiny crawlspace, beneath the kitchen floor, was a space used to hide runaway slaves until they could be joined with the Railroad. Relics, and documents from the Civil War - as it pertained to life within, and surrounding the Jarvis house, is also on prominent display.

On the second floor, of the three story house, is a room devoted to dolls. These dolls were not part of the Jarvis family, but they represent - in a very real way, the continuing legacy of Ann Reeves, and Anna Jarvis: to honor, celebrate, and keep alive the dedication of mother’s the world over. Each of the dolls, that occupy this one room, have come from, or in honor of, mothers from around the world - and from a huge diversity of cultures.

Olive Ricketts, who is the curator of the Ann Reeves Jarvis House, began receiving dolls - either in person, or by mail, with notes attached. These dolls were being donated, unsolicitedly, to the Ann Reeves Jarvis House - in many cases so that they (the dolls) had a meaningful place to continue out their lives now that the original owners had died. Each doll is representative of “a mother” in some profound way. This is one of Olive’s charges to keep the memory, and spirit of Ann Reeves Jarvis, as well as Anna Jarvis alive - as well as the true spirit of Mother’s Day.

For tour information contact: Olive Ricketts at ajhouse26354@yahoo.com