Greene Publishing, Inc. Photo By Rick Patrick, October 28, 2016
Barn quilt design displayed on the side of the Court House Annex Building in Madison.
Rick Patrick - Greene Publishing, Inc.
The Barn Quilts of Madison County Committee will be hosting a special event on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 6 p.m., at 135 N.E. Dill St., in Madison. The featured guest for the evening will be the author of two books on the American barn quilt trail movement, Suzi Parron.
The barn quilt concept began in 2001, in Adams County, Oh. as a way for Donna Sue Groves to honor her mother, Maxine, with having a painted quilt hung on her barn. What began as a singular personal tribute developed into the idea of having a sampler of 20 quilt squares along a driving trail that would entice visitors to travel along the countryside. Volunteers worked together to plan the trail and establish guidelines for the project. Several barn owners signed onto the project and work soon began. Ironically, the Groves barn was not the first barn to have a quilt square. That did not come until 2003. This idea quickly spread to other areas of Ohio, then to Tennessee and Kentucky. Now there are barn quilt trails in 30 states and parts of Canada. Here in Madison, barn quilt designs can be seen on the 4-H building, as well as on the side of the Courthouse Annex building.
This special event is being funded by the Madison County Tourist Development Council.