Paint Creek Patterns

The Greenfield Historical Society is excited about its involvement with the program to extend quilt barn patterns to Highland, Fayette, and Ross Counties. This program is an extension of the quilt barn project started by the late Donna Sue Groves (Adams County) as a way to honor the heritage of quilting and her mother, a quiltartist. Other counties in Appalachian Ohio are participating as well as states throughout the U.S. and even Canada.

On November 14, 2009, Suzi Parron, Georgia, visited Greenfield to collect information for her "Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail Movement". This book is also for sale at the Museum Shop

A more printer-friendly quilt barn trail is also available.

Since this trail was created, there have been some quilt barn patterns removed from the trail. Our most current list is shown below.

For an interactive driving tour of the quilt trail, use your smart phone and click on this link. Driving Tour . It will take you to a Google Map of the Paint Creek Patterns Quilt Trail. Enjoy!
1
[ Map ] 		Colorado, Paul and Evelyn Orr, 10311 Rt. 753 S, Highland County. Painted by Suzanne Irvine Sharp.
The Colorado Square on the Orr barn celebrates the new state that joined the Union in 1876 during the American Centennial.
2
[ Map ] 		Hunter's Star, Janie and Paul Cockrill, 9494 Winegar Road, Highland County. Painted by Janie Cockrill.
Another Star pattern hangs on this barn of an early Petersburg farm.
3
[ Map ] 		Ohio Star, Jerry and Jody Faulconer, 10431 Cope Road, Highland County. Painted by Maxine Carson.
Another example of reversal of light and dark in a popular quilt pattern.
4
[ Map ] 		Flying Geese, Mary Ann and John Larkin, .2 mile west of 10665 Cope Road, Highland County. Painted by Patsy Smith.
Flying Geese indicated an escape timed in the spring with the migrating birds and also sometimes indicated the direction to the next safe house. The owners of this Century Farm are descendants of a prominent abolitionist family of Highland County.
5
[ Map ] 		Double North Star, Sims Family Golf, Mike and Sharon Sims, 11801 Hull Road, Highland County. Painted by Suzanne Irvine Sharp.
This square, displayed on the public Sims Family Driving Range, depicts the North Star, a navigational landmark for thousands of years.
6
[ Map ] 		End of the Day, Rhonda and Ollie Sponcil, 11168 Bonner Road, Fayette County. Painted by Wendy Royse.
This newer square, End of the Day, was chosen to reflect the rest at the end of a long day. Executed in reds and yellows it depicts the rays of the setting sun. A portion of the Sponcil home contains the original log walls of the cabin built here.
7
[ Map ] 		Log Cabin, Tom and Debbie Beatty, 9293 Bonner Road, Fayette County. Painted by Tom And Debbie Beatty.
This is the sixth generation of Beattys to live on the family farm. The farm was given to John Beatty for his services during the American Revolution. The log cabin square directed runaways to build a log cabin to weather out the winter and establish residency in a "free" area. The red center represents the hearth or fire of the cabin.
8
[ Map ] 		Mountain Star, Patricia Smith, 10128 State Route 753 N, Greenfield, Fayette County. Painted by Patricia Smith and Wendy Ellis.
Star patterns were often used to guide runaway slaves. This century farm was owned by one of the early abolitionists in the Fayette/Highland county area.
9
[ Map ] 		Sail Boat, Jan and Charlie Slagle, 5022 SR 138 E, Ross County. Layout by Suzanne Irvine Sharp.
The sail boat square, indicative of transportation, graces the barn of a farm used on the Underground Railroad. Family legends pass on the story of a slave hunter shot and buried on the farm during the tumultuous time after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850.
10
[ Map ] 		Eight Pointed Star, Julia and Eldon Eselgroth, 4222 SR 28 E, Ross County. Layout by Harold Schmidt.
The Lemoyne or Lemon Star pattern is thought to have been directions for escaping slaves. The Eselgroth farm house was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Julia chose this pattern because her mother had given her a quilt with the same pattern.
11
[ Map ] 		Paws, Jerry Parker, 2093 Pricer Ridge Road, Ross County. Painted by Jerry Parker.
In 2006 , buffalo were kept on this farm. From the top of this ridge, the panoramic view, in any season, captures the beauty of this area.
12
[ Map ] 		Carpenter's Wheel, Grain & Hay Building, Greenfield Historical Society, 103 McArthur Way N, Highland County. Painted by Patricia Smith and Wendy Ellis.
The old Greenfield Grain and Hay building is now home to the Greenfield Historical Society. Appropriately, the building displays the Carpenter's Wheel, a square reflecting the settler's need to be a jack-of-all-trades and self-sufficient.
13
[ Map ] 		Bear Claw, Greenfield Vet Clinic, 211 McArthur Way N, Greenfield, Highland County. Painted by Suzanne Irvine Sharp.
The square "Bear Claw" decorates the old DT & I train depot now the Greenfield Vet Clinic. On the East coast, this pattern was known as "Duck's Foot in the Mud". Westward migration changed the name to reflect what pioneers found here.
14
[ Map ] 		Shasta Daisy, Donna and Paul Penn, 12881 SR 41 N, Fayette County. Painted by Donna Penn.
The eight pointed star pattern can often be named for flowers. The choice of colors and the borders help define this pattern.
15
[ Map ] 		Star Variation, Frank and Janice Irvine, 1007 Cart Lane, Ross County. Painted by Judy Thomas.
Star variations make up one of the largest groups of quilt patterns. The squares and triangles can be combined into a myriad of colors and shadows.
16
[ Map ] 		Spool Patch - Barn Patch, Diane Hisey, 3453 Rt. 138 NE, Ross County. Painted by Diane Hisey.
The Spool Patch was an early pattern that was easy for novice quilters to piece. Figural patterns such as School House and Barn came later.
17
[ Map ] 		Tiger's Eye, Connie Streitengerger, 3100 SR 28 E, Ross County. Painted by LuAnn Roe.
This Tiger Eye square is painted purple and gold in honor of the McClain H.S. basketball team. Whenever the Tiger team travels to Athens for tournament play this barn sports a message of good luck.
18
[ Map ] 		Four T Square, Dusty Trefz, 2777 Mount Olive Road, Ross County. Painted by Maxine Carson.
Fittingly this square is a reverse of the light and dark of square #25. These father/son squares also reflect the family’s last name.
19
[ Map ] 		Dolly Madison Star, Brenda and Bill Knapp, 236 McArthur Way N, Greenfield, Highland County. Painted by Brenda Knapp.
This star pattern was named after President James Madison's wife. She is famous for saving the full length portrait of George Wasington when she fled the White House, prior to the British burning it,during the War of 1812 .
20
[ Map ] 		Pierced Star, Rick and Jennifer Jenkins, 2361 Taylorsville Rd, Hillsboro. Highland County. Painted by Suzanne Irvine Sharp.
This pattern was taken from an early New England Quilt Pattern "-Circa 1840" and is one of the many popular star patterns still used today.
21
[ Map ] 		Expanding Star, Kay and Steve Bennett, 11290 St Rt 138 SW, Greenfield. Highland County.
The Expanding Star quilt displayed on Steve and Kay Bennett's barn was a birthday gift for Steve. The amazing work on the 6-foot square was designed and created by Shawna Ross and Donna Campbell. The Bennett's original 4-room brick house was built circa 1859 so they chose a modest combination of colors and design for their square.

Sources: Old Patchwork Quilts and the Women Who Made Them by Ruth E. Finley; Small Endearments 19th Century Quilts for Children by Sandi Fox.

The Greenfield Historical Society
PO Box 266
Greenfield, Ohio 45123
(937)981-7890