Gypsy Road Trip

Quilts are a patchwork of memories!

Quilt Barns have become a popular feature in several Appalachian areas. They not only preserve those old, precious quilt patterns but also tell the story of a family that used that barn.

Quilts bring back special memories of our forefathers to help us realize the dedication and hardships they faced. Every quilt has a special story that needs to be kept for future generations to understand.

The idea was born when Donna Groves, a field representative of the Ohio Arts Council put a quilt on her barn in Adams County, Ohio. The idea quickly caught on with similar Quilt Barn Tours being developed in many Ohio counties and even in surrounding states.

While the idea began in 2001, a few years later in 2005 Harrison County became involved. Their plan was to paint 15 quilts on area barns, one in each township. All quilts that were considered were owned by residents of Harrison County. Twenty-eight quilts were submitted for consideration. The effort was coordinated by the Puskarich Public Library, the OSU Extension Office, and the Harrison County Community Improvement Corporation.

Decision was reached on the fifteen quilts that would be displayed in a very unique way. Harrison County Election Board was demonstrating a new electronic voting machine at the Harrison County Fair in 2005. Pictures of the quilts were downloaded on the election machine and fairgoers had a chance to vote on their favorite. The winner was a quilt in a dahlia pattern submitted by county resident Barbara Besozzi. The quilt was sewn by her grandmother, Mary Henderson and is now on a barn on the homestead where it was sewn.

They proceeded with a Make a Difference Day project which consisted of making eight-foot square painted replicas of the quilts that were chosen. Then they were installed on barns throughout the area – one is each township. A “Drive It Yourself” tour was established.

This was a real community project. The Harrison County Commissioners applied for a grant to support the project. Harrison Central High School industrial arts students made the frames, which held the paintings of the chosen quilts. Two of the paintings were done by students in the Arts department at Harrison Central High School and smaller squares were done by 4-H clubs in the county. The rest were painted by volunteers from Harrison County.

The first barn quilt was installed at the Harrison County Home in August, 2005 while the rest were installed in October, 2005 on Make a Difference Day Ohio. Funds for this project were raised through contributions from individuals, businesses, civic groups, and grants.

The goal of the organizers was to have the quilts and barns tell the story of the residents of Harrison County. In this way, people would know the background of the people who created the quilts and lived on the farms where the barns are located.

A lady, who now lives at the Harrison County Home, quilted the Dresden Plate that is now on Dr. John Center’s Barn outside of Scio. Mary Henderson’s dahlia patterned quilt is on the barn at her old homestead. Stories like this need to be preserved.

The Harrison County Quilt Barn Tour gives you views throughout the county. If you are not familiar with the area, you should get a list of the Quilt Barns either online at www.harrisoncounty.gov.quilt-barrn-project or stop by Harrison County Tourism and pick up a brochure.

Today there are 20 barns on the Harrison County Quilt Barn Tour. Some of those original 15 are no longer present. This self-guided tour reminds us of our pioneer and agricultural heritage.

Take a drive through the hills of Harrison County and watch for the barns that have quilts painted on their side. You might pass some every day. Once you have read about them and taken a Quilt Barn Tour, it’s amazing how often they appear when you are traveling throughout Ohio and neighboring states.

Every quilt tells a story. Watch and listen!