Quilt Barn Squares first started to appear on the sides of barns in Southwest Ohio in 2001 as a result of Adams County resident Donna Sue Groves’ wish to honor her mother, Maxine, an accomplished quilter, by having a quilt square painted on her Mother’s tobacco barn. Now more than 20 barns in Adams County are decorated, each with a different pattern, creating a quilt sampler that honors this Appalachian tradition. The idea has since spread across Ohio’s Appalachian Region and 29 other states as far away as Iowa. Passed down generation to generation, artistic talent created beautifully crafted comforters out of both necessity and to pass down to others.  The barn squares across southern Ohio have reflected this cultural practice.  It has become a family and community event – area groups volunteering both time and effort to paint the quilt barn squares and place them on area barns.

 


"Pike's Patches Quilt Barn Trail" -- Pike County:

Dogwood Quilt Barn
Where: Piketon

The Dogwood Quilt top is appliqued each year by Maude Ramey and quilted by the Dogwood Quilters in Piketon to be raffled off at the Dogwood Festival. This design is adapted from the border of that quilt.

Granny's Maple Leaf Quilt Barn
Where: Piketon

Olive Grove, now deceased, made the original quilt from which this block was adapted for Carma McCreery for her bridal shower. The Burkitt barn is beside the historic location of Grove's Grocery Store.
Cousins by Birth...Sisters by Choice Quilt Barn
Where: Piketon

For Make a Difference Day in Oct 2006, Marian Sanders and her 5 daughters wanted to paint a quilt block in pinks for breast cancer awareness. They dedicated their pinwheel block to family members who have been victims of breast cancer.
Dresden Plate Quilt Barn
Where: Waverly

Sharon's grandmother quilted the Dresden Quilt from which this block was adapted. That quilt was made from feed sacks purchased from Sharon's uncle's store. Sharon later salvaged blocks from the quilt to give squares to her brother, sister, and children.
Drunkard's Path Quilt Barn
Where: Lucasville

This block was selected because it is thought to be a signal block instructing runaways to zig-zag their journey on the Underground Railroad. The block is on the house of the River House Studios.
Fan Quilt Barn
Where: Bainbridge

Joyce's grandmother made the original quilt with soft pink and patterned fans which were pieced together so that the 'fans' formed a path and larger complicated design. This quilt is in her family.
Grandmother's Flower Garden Quilt Barn
Where: Waverly

Bertha Holbrook, now deceased, made the original quilt from which this block was adapted for Sandy and Mike Childers. The barn is on the childhood and current farm of Sandy and her siblings.
Ohio Rose Quilt Barn
Where: Waverly

he original quilt from which this block was adapted was hand-appliqued by Rachel's grandmother, Marian F. Jones, and hand-quilted by a lady in the county in the 1960's. The garage on which it is installed replaced an earlier barn; it sits on a lot behind a Columbus Dispatch house built in 1928.
Sunbonnet Sue Quilt Barn
Where: Waverly

The original quilt from which this block was adapted was the gift of a family member. It was made by the mother of John L.E. Jones, an early Lawrence County family, in the early 20th century. The block is installed on the Waverly Antiques Shop.
Split 9 Patch Quilt Barn
Where: Piketon

Lois Williams painted this block independently of the Pike Arts Guild Pike's Patches project. It is painted directly onto the barn and is a welcome supplement to the project.
Irish Chain Quilt Barn
Where: Waverly

Judy chose this quilt square to have installed on the garage behind her house to honor her Irish heritage -- the Cahills who came to Ohio in the late 1800's.
Star of Alabama
Where: Waverly

Suella chose this block to honor her father who came to this area from Alabama.

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Vinton County Quilt Barns:

Basket Weave Quilt Barn
Where: Northwest of McAuthur

This 100 year old barn is set in a picturesque valley at the former site of Royal, Ohio. It is near the Mt. Olive Covered Bridge and was painted by Sojourners Care Network.
Summer Winds Quilt Barn
Where: Vinton County Fairgrounds

This structure is the Exhibition Building on the Vinton County Fairgrounds, an agricultural hub for Vinton County. This quilt square was painted by the Vinton County Senior Citizens.
Follow the Drinking Gourd Quilt Barn
Where: Wilkesville

This barn sits on a farm that was once part of the Underground Railroad. It is believed that quilt patterns were used as code for escaped slaves. The drinking gourd is a reference to the North Star and is believed to advise travelers to follow that navigational beacon toward freedom.

Turkey Tracks Quilt Barn
Where: McAthur

This quilt square was painted by visitors to the Vinton County Wild Turkey Festival. Even two members of the country music band Confederate Railroad got in on the act.

Farm Friendliness Quilt Barn
Where: New Plymouth

This lovely farm has been owned by the same family for five generations. The barn that features the quilt pattern was noted on the deed at the time the farm was purchased in 1833.
V-Block Quilt Barn
Where: ReUse Industries, Albany

‘V’ is for Vinton County! This quilt square was painted by members of the Zaleski Super Kids 4-H Club and is located on the grounds of ReUse Industries, a public business.
Vinton County has recently added many new quilt barns. They will be added to the site soon.

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Athens County Quilt Barns:

"A" Block Quilt Barn
Where: Athens

This quilt barn was painted by Hilary Fletch and represents Athens County. It hangs on a barn owned by Don and Anne L'Heureux. The block was sponsored by the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce and painted by Trimble High School Art Class.
Appalachian Sunburst Block Quilt Barn
Where: Athens

The Appalachian Sunburst is a traditional quilt design. This barn is owned and sponsored by Chis and Connie Wolf. The pattern was painted by the Athens Rotaract Club.
Corn and Beans Block Quilt Barn
Where: Albany

The Corn and Beans Block is a traditional quilt design. This barn is owned by Debby Fulks and Chuck Larimer. The pattern was painted by the Ohio University UC115 Class and sponsored by Elsie Doss and Wimp Frost.
Passion Flower Quilt Barn
Where: Albany

The Passion Flower Block was designed by Passion Works Studio and painted by the Passion Works Artists. The barn is owned and sponsored by Jim and Rosanne Krager.
Pawpaw Block Quilt Barn
Where: Albany

The Pawpaw Block was designed by John Lefelhocz and painted bt Rural Action. This barn is owned byChris Chmiel & Michelle Gorman. Integration Acres sponsored the quilt barn.
Dairy Barn Star Block Quilt Barn
Where: Athens

The Dairy Barn Star Block adorns the Dairy Barn Cultural Arts Center in Athens. It was designed by John Lefelhocz to reflect the cupolas on top of this historic barn. This block was sponsored by the Dairy Barn and painted by the Dairy Barn staff and volunteers.
Quilt National Block
Where: Athens

The Quilt National Block was designed by Porter Smith Thayer . This pattern is based on a quilt that was made in 1979, the inaugural year of Quilt National. This block was sponsored by Quilt National and painted by the Dairy Barn staff and volunteers.
Jacob's Ladder Block Quilt Barn
Where: Athens

The Jacob's Ladder Block is a traditional quilt design. Mitch and Cathe Blower own and sponsor the barn. The block pattern was painted by the Federal Hocking High School Art.
Ohio Star Block Quilt Barn
Where: Guysville

The Ohio Star Block is a traditional quilt design. The pattern was sponsored and painted by the United Seniors of Athens County. Jeff and Carol Koehler are the barn's owners.

All Roads Lead to Athens Quilt Barn
Where: Guysville

This quilt barn block was designed by Hilary Fletcher and painted by Girl Scouts Troop 5865 and 1367. The barn is owned by Reta Robinson and sponsored by MDDO.

Buckeye Block Quilt Barn
Where: Stewart

The Buckeye Block is a traditional quilt pattern. The pattern was painted by Athens Middle School Fall 2005 Advanced Art and sponsored by MDDO. Lola Mae Lackey is the barns owner.
Athens Ridges Arrows Block Quilt Barn
Where: Stewart

The Atens Ridges Arrows Block was designed by John Lefelhocz and painted by Athens High School Art. The barn is owned by Cecil and Margaret Tabler. MDDO was the sponsor.
Athens Ridges Cross & Clover Block Quilt Barn
Where: Amesville

Designed by Joh Lefelhocz and owned by James Lochary, the Athens Ridges Cross and Clover Block is located in Amesville. The pattern was painted by Athens High School Art and sponsored by Century National Bank.
Athens Ridges Spinning Top
Where
: Amesville
The Spinning Top Block was designed by John Lefelhocz. It hangs on a barn near Amesville owned by Becky Rondy. Athens Middle School Spring 2006 Advance Art Class painted the pattern and MDDO sponsored it.
Brickwork Block Quilt Barn
Where: North of Athens

The Brickwork Block is a traditional quilt pattern that honors the old brick manufacturing industry. The block adores the barn of Tom ans Anne Walker. The pattern was painted by Dairy Barn Cultural Arts Center Volunteers and was sponsored b MDDO.
Cat's Paw Block Quilt Barn
Where: Glouster

The Cat's Paw Block is based upon the traditional Bear Paw pattern. This design was created by Hilary Fletcher for the Trimble High School Tomcats and for the barnowner's love for cats. The barn, which was built in the early 1900s, is owned b Linda Jones.
State of Ohio Block Quilt Barn
Where: Millfield
There was a time when each state "claimed" a block to represent themselfs. Although they were developed much earlier as part of the centennial celebrations, the state blocks became quite popular in the 1930s. The State of Ohio Block features a prominent star in the center surrounded by a pattern that repersents the buckeye leaf of the state tree.
Old Indian Trail Block Quilt Barn
Where: Millfield

This traditional quilt pattern was selected to honor the Native Americans that once lived in this region. Some of the oldest historical sites in Athens County are Navtive American burial and ceremonial mounds.
Forest Block Quilt Barn
Where: Chauncey

The Forest Block pattern was designed by Hilary Fletcher. The Athens Convention and County Visitors Bureau Sponsored and painted the block. The barn is owned by Chuck and Roberta Shields.
Coal Miners Block Quilt Barn
Where: Nelsonville
This pattern, which was designed by John W. Lefelhocz, was created to honor the coal miners and the coal mining towns of the late 1800s and early 1900s. The barn is owned by Ron and Karen Wend. Rocky Outdoor Gear Store sponsored the project and the Little Cities of Black Diamonds Organization painted to block.
Star Block Quilt Barn
Where: Robins Crossing, Nelsonville

This pattern is fashioned after the traditional Star brick paving block which was made by the Nelsonville Brick Company from 1880 to 1937. The barn is location at Robbins Crossing Living History Site at Hocking College in Nelsonville. The project was sponsored by Hocking College and the block was painted by the Artisans of Nelsonville Public Square Art Distirict.

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Morgan County Quilt Barns:

Wedding Ring Quilt Barn
Where: Muffin's Guest House, Southwest of Malta
This quilt barn is fasioned after is a traditional quilt pattern. The motif of two interlocking rings goes as far back as the fourth century when it was used to decorate Roman cups. The pattern became very popular in the 30s and 40s.

Artists & Orchardists of Hickory Ridge Quilt Barn
Where: Hickory Ridge, Southwest of Malta
This quilt barn celebrates the Artists and Orchardists of Morgan County. It is a traditional quilt pattern called "card trick".

McCall's Bicentenial Quilt Barn
Where: Hooksburg

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