Barn Quilts Dover, Tennessee

On our way home from Atlanta, my husband decided we had time to take a side trip. We got off the expressway and made our way to Dover, Tennessee. Stewart County, is where Dover is, and is part of the Appalachian Quilt Trail. Tennessee has published a wonderful 48 page pamphlet. I had found out about this through google, and when we arrived in Tennessee on our way to Atlanta, I made sure we picked one up. (You just never know when you might be in the area of Barn Quilts.) By total accident, we think we found the best trail to see. This Medallion Sampler Quilt is named "With love, From Letitia." It is installed on the Samaritan Center, beside the Stewart County Courthouse located in Old Town Dover, Tennessee. To quote, " Like the famous "Dear Jane" sampler made in Civil War times, the quilt trails sampler has been created in preparation for the sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) of the American Civil War." I was able to acquire a pamphlet about this quilt. It tells the symbolism of the quilt. It was inspired by the local heroine, Letitia Levin Smith. This quilt was designed and created by her great-grand daughter, Carolyn Walter Darke, who happens to be a local artist. Even my husband was in awe of this wonderful work of art. This quilt is painted, and measures 12 x 12 feet. The quilt trail through Dover only showed 4 spots to see "barn quilts" Needless to say we found more then that. Some of the quilts were 4x4 ft, 2x2 ft, or 6x6ft. We found them on the side of buildings in town.

Some were on the sides.

Or the backs of a building.

This one is on the front of the Sunset Motor Inn.

This one on the side of a barn. We found small ones on the front of the hardware store, the public library, and the public works building. I have pictures of 19 quilts we found in and around town. It was amazing. We have to say Letitia's quilt is the most beautiful.