Joggling board

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A joggling board found at the Robert Mills House in Columbia, SC.
A joggling board found at the Robert Mills House in Columbia, SC.

A joggling or jostling board is a long, pliable board that is supported on each end by wooden stands. The board is springy and a person sitting on it can easily bounce up and down. It originated in the Lowcountry of South Carolina around Charleston in the early 1800s and was often used by children or couples in love. The male and female would sit at opposite ends of the board and "joggle" up and down. Because the board slopes in the middle, the couple would bounce toward each other and eventually meet in the middle. Traditionally, it is painted black, or Charleston green. The joggling board's popularity has slowly been coming back, mostly as decorations on lawns and front porches.

[edit] Construction

The main board preferably should be between 10 and 16 feet long and wide enough to sit on. Traditionally the boards were made from the flexible wood of a palmetto tree. The end pieces, which are often shaped similar to a rocking chair to facilitate rocking, hold the main board at sitting height.