Quilt Barns

Quilt Barn Squares first started to appear on the sides of barns in Southwest Ohio in 2001 as a result of Adams County resident Donna Sue Groves’ wish to honor her mother, Maxine, an accomplished quilter, by having a quilt square painted on her Mother’s tobacco barn. Now more than 20 barns in Adams County are decorated, each with a different pattern, creating a quilt sampler that honors this Appalachian tradition. The idea has since spread across Ohio’s Appalachian Region and 29 other states as far away as Iowa. Passed down generation to generation, artistic talent created beautifully crafted comforters out of both necessity and to pass down to others.  The barn squares across southern Ohio have reflected this cultural practice.  It has become a family and community event – area groups volunteering both time and effort to paint the quilt barn squares and place them on area barns. 

Pike's Patches Quilty Barn Trail

Vinton County Quilt Barns

Athens County Quilt Barns

Morgan County Quilt Barns