Two of the dearest friends of our lives have been Philip and Mildred Greear. I sometimes describe them as Brannon and Lillian’s surrogate grandparents. B&L were lucky to have four wonderful grandparents in my folks and Sheila’s but their blood-grandparents did not live in Rome. B&L spent some quality time as kids in Mildred’s kitchen, garden, and henhouse, in Philip’s workshop and yard, and spalshing in that wonderful mountaintop swimming pool.
Back when the Reagan administration was intent on selling off major portions of our public lands, Mildred & Philip and many others organized the awkwardly named but very effective “Individuals for National Forest Outcry” (INFO). During that effort Phillip built a beautiful “Bishop’s Bench” table from wood milled from a huge longleaf pine that fell across Horseleg Creek Road from Marshall Forest. He donated the table to INFO to be raffled. WE WON the raffle. We still own and use that five foot table.
Today after buying a pair of shoes at Becky’s in Gala Shopping Center we walked down to the Salvation Army Thrift Store.
As I was wandering around the shop I noticed the table in these pictures. My mouth dropped as I examined it. I lifted the top to make it a bench. Raised the lid of the storage compartment below. Looked at the wooden pins used to secure the top and the long piano hinge. I noticed the style of the feet on the bench and table. Then I walked to where Sheila was browsing and said to her: “See that table way over there against the window? I’m nearly positive it was built by Phillip.” We walked back over. She noted that though the wood looked very similar to ours, the planks were not as thick. Also, she noted the “feet” were not quite as big. And the whole thing was much larger than ours. Still I was just sure.
Since the table had just been brought in the employees needed to wait for the manager to return from lunch to get us a price. So we waited a few minute. The very nice man agreed it was an item donated locally. I told him that I thought I knew who had built it. He said, “Well, there’s a name on it somewhere.” And there it was. Right on the rim of the table top: “P. GREEAR 85”
We would like to know for sure but we suspect this is the big table that was on the back porch of the Greear home on Mt. Alto Road.
It needs some TLC. The top needs gluing and clamping and then sanding and refinishing. The bench and the base are near perfect… well a little chipping on the base. But what a find for this sentimental old fool.
This eight-foot table will reside on our big side porch and I hope to eat some good food and enjoy some good conversation around it during whatever time I have left here. Y’all come.
