Perhaps you’ve seen them as you’re driving around - large murals of patchwork quilt squares providing a pop of color to the sides of passing barns and buildings. What you may not know is these squares, just like a real quilt, join together to tell a deeper story.
The Rutherford County Quilt Trail is part of a nationwide initiative to bring tourism and cultural preservation to rural areas. Many of the squares you’ll see originate from family patchwork quilt designs handed down from generation to generation. The very first quilt square was installed on the side of a tobacco barn in Southern Ohio. Now, over 43 states currently take part in the National Quilt Trail, and you can start your journey right here in Middle Tennessee.
Follow the trail below:
"Double Wedding Ring" Owners: Karen and Bob Ford Readyville Mill | 5418 Murfreesboro Road | Readyville, TN 37149
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Readyville Mill was built in 1812 and continues its work as an operational gristmill and now, restaurant. An idyllic setting, the mill has hosted over 200 special events and serves as a mainstay of this local community.
“Dutch Girl” Owners: Violet Cassity Bogle & Benson Bogle Hickory Hill Farm at Donnell’s Chapel | 11866 Bradyville Pike | Murfreesboro, TN 37149
This square uses a family quilt pattern designed by Ms. Bogle’s mother. A fifth-generation farm named for its grove of hickory trees, Hickory Hill Farm is still an active producer of hay.
"Bear's Paw" Owners: Bill & Joyce Boner Cripple Creek Farm | 3466 Cripple Creek Road | Readyville, TN 37149
Once a hot-spot for school and church field trips to see exotic animals, Cripple Creek Farm currently supports a feeder calf operation. Known as the Judge McFarland property, the original house dates back over 100 years and has been maintained for the last 20 by the Boner family.
"Log Cabin" Owners: Cindy & Alan Daigre Ferrell Hollow Farms | 5323 Ferrell Hollow Road | Readyville, tn 37149
Ferrell Hollow Farms serves as a boarding location for special needs horses. Owners Cindy and Alan produce a line of body products featuring unique herbal blends along with handcrafted hardwood chairs and rocking chairs.
“Tulips in Vase” Owners: Berry & the late Laughlin Youree Youree Farm | 1247 Cripple Creek Road | Readyville, TN 37149
Fashioned after a family quilt pattern, this block is featured on the side of a barn built in 1952. The lands it exists on has been a working beef farm for five generations and dates all the way back to the 1770s.
If you or someone you know would like to add to the Rutherford County Quilt Trail, applications are processed by the UT-TSU Rutherford County Extension in conjunction with Carrie Perkins of the Riverdale High School Art Department and local artist, Billie Jean Summers.
Sponsorship for the Rutherford County Quilt Trail is brought to you by:
- Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce
- Tennessee State University
- UT Extension
- Hoover Paint Store
- Rutherford County Farm Bureau
- Rutherford County OIT