Quilt Barn, Townsend Tennessee by tennesseecowgirl
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Description
The American barn quilt movement started in Adams County, Ohio, when Donna Sue Groves painted a quilt block on her tobacco barn to honor her mother, a master quilter. Sac County embraced the barn quilt idea and quickly became the Iowa leader in the number of barn and community quilts painted and installed around the county. While you can see a barn quilt in almost a third of Iowa's counties now, and in 25 different states, you'll see more quilts in Sac County than just about anywhere else!
Growing up in West Virginia, Donna Sue Groves and her family would play a simple game of counting the barn advertising signs, such as Chew Mail Pouch, See Rock City, Seven Caves, Natural Bridge and Drink R C Cola on long road trips. They would use the different styles of barns such as Bank, Round, Crib, Tobacco as part of the automobile game. During vacations, she delighted in watching for the colorful geometric Hex signs scattered throughout Pennsylvania. Her family used barn watching as an opportunity for family discussions, a way to pass the long hours riding in the car, and as a history lesson.
Fast forward to 1989. Nina Maxine, now a widow, had retired from her teaching career. Donna Sue had divorced and her son had graduated high school. Both women agreed that it was time for a change, and together they purchased a 28-acre, non-working farm in Adams County, Ohio, located in the southern part of the state. On the farm was a type of barn that Donna Sue had never noticed in all her years of playing the barn game: a tobacco barn.
Furthermore, she recalls saying that it was “the ugliest barn I have ever seen!” She promised Nina Maxine that she would paint a quilt square on the barn to spruce it up and honor her mother’s quiltmaking talent.It took twelve years to make good on her promise.
She then hit upon the happy idea of expanding the project to other barns in the county, creating a driving trail (the barn game with a twist!) as a means of supporting local artists, generating tourist traffic, and benefiting the economy. On a more personal level, she saw the project as a means of paying homage to both her mother and her Appalachian mountain heritage.
The project was a runaway success. Neighboring counties (and eventually other states) asked to join in and create their own quilt barn trails. Donna Sue encouraged them all, asking only that they share any lessons learned with other interested parties and telling them, “If you plan a barn quilt project in your county, please remember my momma, Nina Maxine Groves.”
To date, the American Quilt Barn Trail stretches across 26 states, includes 98 dedicated driving trails, and features an estimated 2100-plus quilt squares. And Nina Maxine finally got a quilt square painted on her barn: a Snail’s Trail centered above the barn’s doors.
I see these on occasion in my surrounding area, and I always enjoy their artistic look, I hope you do as well as well as this bit of history about them that I have included.
Enjoy a wonderful Tuesday~
Comments (67)
dragonmuse
What a great story :)
DAVER2112
Very interesting info and the capture is wonderful.
lior
A so great story and a so wonderful capture!
brycek
Beautiful capture and wonderful information!!
annie5
Wonderful capture..very sharp! Thanks for the info :)
nefertiabet
Very nice shot!!!Thanks for the nice story!!!
carlx
Wonderful capture!!!
Shari123
What a splendid photo! I'm so glad you did the research and gave us a little of the history of the quilt squares. All the barn needs now is "See Rock City" painted on the roof!
bmac62
Well, I'll be dipped...in tobacco juice, what else? Never knew about this phenomena...fascinating. I'll have to keep my eye out here in leavenworth County.
Miska7
Really nice scene and information! Great capture!
Faemike55
fantastic work of art, great photo of it and fascinating history! Thank you
DananJaya_Chef
Beautiful capture and interesting info, I love history.
GBCalls
Interesting read! Excellent photo- I was gonna guess it was a target for those of us who had been told you couldn't hit the broadside of a barn with a dart. Well done
jayfar
Most interesting and educational.
flavia49
exquisite capture!!
anitalee Online Now!
beautiful
Hendesse
Fantastic shot, very beautiful colors and light. Thanks also for the detailed information.
unstart
A wonderful photo and a wonderful history lesson..thanks for sharing, Lynell!!
ocoee53
A fine photo, and thanks for the history. I have seen these barns in Kentucky and elswhere and had picked up some of the history, but it is always satisfying to learn the whole story.
psyoshida
What a wonderful history and lovely tribute to her Mom. I love barn photos and this is a beauty. Wonderful shot. Hope you are feeling better.
jmb007
histoire interessante;;bonne photo!!
willpee
That is sooo neat. great story and a great shot !!
sandra46
OUTSTANDING SHOT!!!! I LOVE QUILTS AND BOUGHT SOME... i forgot saying that my NIKON is very good and i especially like its 24x zoom. Ciao Sandra
jeroni
Splendid composition and colors my friend
eekdog Online Now!
nice shot lynell, like the art on the barn..
magichild2
Fantastic photo shot and a great story as well. Lovely
cricke49
excellent photo image and more than a well told story-line thank you for sharing that with me and all the people here on renderosity! i say carry on! i used to build quilting machines, loved every thing about it!:)*5
drifterlee
really pretty shot!!
babuci
Most interesting history and a wonderful capture of the barn.
Blush
Intresting capture sis I have a see Rock City one I need to upload Got to re install my PSP first tho Hugs Susan~