When autumn rolls around in Garrett County, the hillsides turn brilliant with reds, golds, and fiery oranges. But if you take a drive along our winding country roads this fall, you’ll notice more than just the changing leaves. Scattered across barns, sheds, and farm buildings are brightly painted wooden squares—patterns that echo both the artistry of quilting and the agricultural roots of our community. These are the barn quilts of Garrett County, and they’re more than decoration. They’re a colorful way of telling stories, honoring heritage, and weaving together the threads of rural life.
The Garrett County Barn Quilt Trail was first established more than a decade ago with the creation of the nonprofit Barn Quilt Association of Garrett County, joining a national movement that was created by the late Donna Sue Groves in Ohio in the early 2000s. Today, our county boasts over 50 quilt blocks—some depicting traditional patterns like “Ohio Star” or “Log Cabin,” others inspired by the families and farms where they hang. For locals, the quilts are a source of pride; for visitors, they are a self-guided tour through backroads and valleys that might otherwise be missed.
Some of the quilt squares have been installed for 17 years now, and as such, many of them have lost some of their initial luster through fading or have been damaged by weather. The Barn Quilt “Facelift” refurbishment project was initiated this summer with kickoff funding from the Community Trust Foundation as well as the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority and Mountain Maryland Gateway to the West Heritage Area.
When asked about the project, Barn Quilt Association Secretary/Treasurer, Cheryl DeBerry, said, “the grant funding is supporting an assessment of the quality of all the barn quilts in the county and ranking of those in most need of refurbishment. Then, at least 10 of them will be removed, painted, and remounted using the grant funding.”
The assessment has shown that more than 10 quilt squares are in need of help – so the Barn Quilt Association created a web page where folks can donate to the project to allow more to be done. 100% of the proceeds will go to the “Facelift” project. https://garrettbarnquilts.org/barn-quilt-refurbishment-project/
Assistance with barn quilt removal and remounting, as well as manpower for all aspects of the project, is also needed.
The barn quilts symbolize the balance of tradition and change that we grapple with in small towns in Appalachia every day. They honor farming
families who’ve worked the land for generations, even as they invite new audiences—tourists from Pittsburgh or Washington, D.C., or a young couple discovering Deep Creek Lake for the first time—to slow down, explore the backroads, and see the county through a different lens.
As the centennial of Deep Creek Lake draws attention this year, the Barn Quilt Trail offers a quieter but equally meaningful celebration of place. Each block is a brushstroke in a larger mural, telling the story of agriculture, craft, and community resilience. Visit https://garrettbarnquilts.org/ to see the map or https://bit.ly/barn_quilts to download the free experience pass app and earn prizes for completing the local Barn Quilt Trail.
Written by Collen DuBose