The Blue Ridge Arts Council is taking the lead in bringing the National Quilt Trail to South Carolina. The Quilt Trail began in 2001 in Ohio when Donna Sue Groves installed a painted quilt design on her barn to honor her mother, a fifth generation Appalachian quilter. From that simple act, the project has spread to more than 2,000 colorfully painted quilt designs on barns and other structures in twenty-four states. The Oconee County Public Library is now part of this amazing project.
The popularity of the quilt square design trails has grown as communities see them as an artistic celebration of history and culture. Individual structure owners chose to honor their quilting ancestors and rural life. Ms. Groves wishes future quilt square design trails to honor females as she did her mother.
Here in Oconee County, a group of dedicated citizens is working to put South Carolina on the map by establishing the Oconee Heritage Quilt Trail. The first quilt in South Carolina, which has been sponsored by the Wynward Pointe Ladies Group, will be mounted on the Oconee Heritage Center in Walhalla, SC, in the Rocky Mountain Road pattern made in 1930 by Lena Mae Land Talley, of Mountain Rest. It will be recreated on an 8' x 8' weather resistant wooden panel mounted on the outside wall of the Oconee Heritage Center. Others are sponsoring quilts to be painted on other buildings in the county.
Quilt trails bring an economic benefit to communities by attracting tourists to the countryside and include historical sites along the route. Businesses that are part of the trail have experienced increased traffic and interest.
For more information, please visit Oconee Heritage Quilt Trail.
