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Mural Features Local Herds, Leaf, Timber

By HI I L WALL The large mural on the north in side wall of The First National Bank is not merely a decoration It is a i y m b o i of ? way of life--the agrarian way of life that has built Farmville and ' surrounding area. The mural ties in three local sC'-ii-'s. to giw !‘ e effect of a large picture window. The local scenes were chosen deliberately to repre sent li\ * to< • . ; 'hacco and fores try three of the fundamentals that have alwavs !«•«••; the main source of economy in this area. The process by which the three photographs art welded together is and interesting and intricate one. Th< work was dune by Elliott Ly man Fisher, of Ash< v He. N. C. Although cemplieat* d. a brief out line of hi; method is understand able. The fir.- t proe« ss was the taking of the local scenes Earl T Agee, a Farmville photographer, took these pictures in the usual manner. Of course the n-natives had to be pin-point sharp. These negatives were sent to Fisher in North Carolina. He se lected the three scenes that blended best. Enlargements were made of the three scene and these were pasted together, forming a minia ture or original of the mural. This scene wa - then copied by a copying camera with an unusually large negative. This negative was then used to make the enlarged print that forms the mural.

( \KV M SMITH The larpe print war, then cut into strips and brought to Farmville where it was mounted like wall paper" J41 mi'!!!:' ■ tin. I nal scene caie was taken to make the pieces match and lit perfectly. The tobacco scene was taken on the farm of Cary M Smith in Cum brriaml coupL tie livestock scene on the Derry fmm just across the Appom itti;x r.ve from Farmville and the fore '. s-oem* came from the favm of M’■ V. Lucille Brad shaw about four rules from Rice • on i!i" Y. : I.a.-:--- road Mr Smith . - one of the largest u ■ »he state. He n <• '!'- when u< um d to sell 5&.000 pound.-, u. .1 -ns "In those day- ■ • ■■ Farmville market would bundle 14 or 15 mil

II H IIIKM h":; pounds a year.-' This year the Farmvillt- nia.ket handled just over four million pounds of tobacco. Mr Caiy Smith was born near

Cumberland Court House 89 years ago. He served as treasurer of Cumberland county for 36 years be fore retiring He worked for Mr. Burton for six years on the Hudson farm just west of Farmville before he moved to the farm he now owns. ' He rented that farm for several years, and then bought it with the! money he had saved. Since that. time he has brought his farm to its : present prosperous state, and it is: generally referred to as one of the I ‘best farms in this area.” Mr. Smith does not actively farm | now He has turned the reins over to his son C. M Smith. Jr. and; grandson. John Marshall Smith. The farm contains 567 acres and j about 300 acres are cleared. Mr. j Smith explained that the farm was j mostly woods when he bought it and j he has cleared the land that now j supports the tobacco, corn, and; other crops that flourish on his | farm.

Mercy Farm The livestock scene is symbolic not only of beef, but of dairying and all livestock in general The picture was taken on the beef farm of H W Derey. who is super in tendon t of public works for the town of Farmville. He bought, the farm in 1948 from C J. Cox. Farm- ' ville automotive dealer and cattle man. Thr farm was formerly called the "Jackson Mill property” or the Swift farm" It contains some 400 acres and has 325 acres of cleared land Mr. Derey and his son. Rill, have j cleared 250 acre1 since they boughtj it in 1948 Bill does the active farm-! iog while Mr. Derey handles his) job in Farmville. d of Hereford beef cattle. -Mr Derey is a native of Bristol c>-fi;111_ :o Farmville on construction ! work lie was foreman during the j construction of Jarman auditorium. . jobs until he became superintendent of public works for Farmville in 1955. Increasing Forestry The forestry scene is typical of many such pine growths that have j been planted through this section. I The land is owned by Mrs. .w Lu cille Bradshaw and her son. Joe Bradshaw, of Rice. The farm is j rented out and Joe Bradshaw is em ployed by Gordon's Transfer Com pany The farm is located about four miles from Rice on the Miller's i ContinneC on Pago 9

TOBACCO FIELD ON THE FARM OF C. M. SMITH, of Cumberland County, was m ed to make the composite mural, the focal point of the bank’s lobby. See mural below.

PASTORAL SCENE on the farm of H. YV. Perey. of Cumberland County was used to supply the cen tra! theme in the mural below. A third photo of a forest scene on the Bradshaw farm in Prince Fid ward completed the local scenes for the mural

TMr* COM PI. r Til) MCKAL is shown as a background for the tell ers’ windows in the new bank lobby Three see* >m local farms were composed to form the attractive mural. ' J