Hannah Styles
hstyles@thesmokymountaintimes.com
Chances are you’ve probably seen a quilt square on a barn driving through the Appalachian Mountains and wondered where it came from or the meaning behind it. According to the Swain County Chamber of Commerce website, the tradition began in 2001 when an Ohio woman painted a quilt block on her family farm in honor of her mother, who was an avid quilter. From there, the quilt trails spread across 49 states, totaling thousands. You can see twelve of those hand-painted beauties right here.
The first quilt to become part of the Swain County Quilt Trail is called “Appalachian Dream.” It was installed on the side of the Swain County Chamber Building on May 15, 2012. About one month later, the second quilt was unveiled at Bryson City’s Island Park, titled the Double Wedding Ring.
This quilt was created by Tee Angel, whose desire was to display the pattern in a colorful way that celebrates the woodlands and the flowers gracing the grounds of Island Park during the summer months.
“Our volunteer committee worked to get participants. There was a charge that covered the cost of the materials for the ones we painted,” said Ellen Snodgrass, who is a member of the Swain County Quilt Trail committee. “We worked with the participants about what story they would like to tell, then we worked out which quilt pattern would best suit the story. We chose the color palette, and they approved the design. Various committee members painted the blocks.”
These would be the Chamber, Depot, Island Park, Lands Creek, Cottage Craftsman, Smoky Mountain Meadows Campground, and Southwestern Community College.
Another quilt with an interesting story is Dresden Plate, located on the outside of the Cottage Craftsman downtown. In 1978, former owner & basket maker Debbie Mills took a quilting class and learned how to hand piece a block called the Dresden Plate.
The Dresden Plate was one of the most popular quilt patterns used during the 1920-30s. The pattern reflects the romance of the Victorian Era with its love of elaborate decoration on household items and decor; and the admiration women had for the beautiful plates of Dresden, Germany, which were embellished with flowers, fruits and foliage, according to greatsmokies.com.
Following the Quilt Trail
Whether you are a local or just visiting town, the quilt trail is a fun, Easter-egg type, scavenger hunt that a family can do together. Some of the quilts are in plain sight, while others are tucked away in the mountains, only showing their detailed design to those who look carefully.
On a recent weekend, I decided to take the trail myself and further explore this majestic region I call home. I mapped out my route starting with walkable stops first as several blocks on the trail are located in downtown Bryson City.
First, I found myself at “Appalachian Dream,” conveniently located at the Chamber of Commerce in town. From there, you can easily walk to the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Depot to find “Railroad Spirit,” with beautiful earthly tones of blue, green, black, and brown. After that, “Diane’s Passion” is tucked away at the end of Everett Street across from the Presbyterian Church, with mesmerizing watercolors and a 3-D floral design. Next, I recommend walking back along the opposite side of Everett Street to The Cottage Craftsman, where you will find “Dresden Plate” and from there around the corner to One Twenty Main to find one of my personal favorites on the trail, the “Smoky Mountains” quilt.
Some participants painted their own blocks, like Ashley Hackshaw at One Twenty Main; Deep Creek Tube Center & Campground; Calhoun House Inn & Suites; and Christina Lohmann at 300 Everett Street building, which was put up when it was the Brigham law office, and Starvation Plantation.
“We put up the barn quilt in August of 2020,” Hacksaw said. “It’s funny how this project took place totally by accident. I had purchased a large piece of marine grade plywood for a barn quilt commission I had done recently, and I had a four-foot section leftover, so I thought I should make a mountain-themed barn quilt.”
The color scheme for this block took inspiration from vintage rocking chairs that Hackshaw was painting at the time.
The remaining quilts on the list I drove to, as most are far out of town and up mountain roads.
The “Double Wedding Ring” located across the bridge at Island Park, is where I ventured next. Take your time at this location and breathe in the tranquil beauty of the park, as I did on a sunny, 75-degree day. Next, just out of town is “American Dream” at Calhoun Inn and Suites. This one takes a minute to spot, as you must turn into the driveway and then find the block on an outbuilding a few feet away from the main home.
After that, to Deep Creek we go, where you’ll find “Around Deep Creek” on the back of a barn located at Deep Creek Tube Center and Campground. The tube center has yet to open for the season, so it might feel a little odd traipsing across the grounds to find the quilt, but during the summer months, business will be bustling.
Possibly the most difficult quilt to get your eyes on is “Harmony Square” at Lands Creek Log Cabins. Be careful as your GPS might advise you to turn too soon and take you on a wild goose chase up a mountain, as mine did, but after finally finding this quilt, it was worth the exploration. Situated on the front of Harmony Hall in the center of the grounds, this colorful quilt was surrounded by Star Magnolia blossoms, making it another favorite of mine out of the whole dozen.
Traveling to the western part of Swain County, I found “Indian Trail, Celtic Chain & Red Flower Bud” adorning the Southwestern Community College Building and “East Alarka Mountains” on a barn at Smoky Mountain Meadows Campground, one of only two squares to be located on a barn during the tour. There is another quilt block, not included on the tour, located about a half mile before you reach Smoky Mountain Meadows Campground, so don’t get the two confused.
The final quilt I visited was the “12-Pointed Star” in the very fitting location of Starvation Plantation fabric store, where quilting dreams become a reality.
The tour will take you anywhere from 2-3 hours depending on how much time you take admiring each block but could be turned into an entire day adventure, if you also see nearby hotspots along the way, like Deep Creek where trails lined with waterfalls make for a beautiful hike and grab lunch in town.
To find exact locations/coordinates and more information about each quilt visit https://www.greatsmokies.com/quilt-trail/. So, next time you are looking for something to do locally, take a step back in time to our local quilting heritage, where determined, hard-working people lived off the land and off their own creativity to take care of themselves and families.