Cornwall Manor celebrates 75th anniversary with unique barn quilt project

Cornwall Manor resident Joe Barnett lives on the Woods Campus, about 200 yards from Cornwall Manor’s Trailside Organic Farm. After taking a tour of the onsite, certified-organic farm and barn in September 2023, he was impressed with the farm operation and that Cornwall Manor was the first retirement community to partner with the Rodale Institute, the global leader in organic agriculture.

Joe suggested to Cornwall Manor President & CEO, Harry McConnell, adding a Quilt Block to the exterior of the barn, an addition that would set the barn apart from other local barns. Most of us are familiar with colorful quilt blocks that hang on the side of a barn in the Pennsylvania countryside. The commonwealth has hundreds of these charming “barn quilts” scattered throughout the state, paying tribute to our German and agricultural heritage. These barn quilts are large wooden panels, typically 8×8 feet, painted with geometric motifs to resemble quilted blocks.

The origins of barn quilts trace back to Pennsylvania Dutch farmers who brought hex signs to America in the 17th century. These circular decorative designs, reminiscent of Scandinavian folk art, adorned barn exteriors. While hex signs were often six-pointed stars, other common designs included birds, grains, hearts and flowers. The basic quilt patterns and hex signs laid the foundation for today’s barn quilts, which celebrate local culture and establishments.

Joe’s idea of adding a barn quilt to the Trailside barn was a fitting project for 2024, during Cornwall Manor’s 75^th Anniversary. Shari Showers, Life Engagement Coordinator, took the lead on this project, doing research and coordinating the volunteers. Shari first recruited Cornwall Manor resident Pauline Charles, whose love of quilting has spanned 32 years (including six years of teaching). Pauline recruited additional committee members and Cornwall Manor residents – Mary Ann Hoffman, Barb Tonzi, Jean Renaud, Rita van Alkemade, Alice and Harry Weaver.

With the assignment at task, the group looked at different patterns and did research on the internet. They spent about a month looking. Everyone brought a variety of patterns to their next gathering – printouts from the internet, pictures from books and magazines. “We probably looked at 30 different patterns,” shared Pauline “and when we saw the maple leaf, we knew that was the pattern we wanted.” The maple leaf also tied in with the nature theme and trees shown in Cornwall Manor’s logo. A distinctive attribute of Cornwall Manor is the vast colorful gardens and wooded grounds that the senior living community is nestled on.

Since the Trailside barn is red, the ladies wanted bright colors to fill the maple leaf but knew it couldn’t clash. In-house artist and resident Rita van Alkemade painted and presented three different variations of the maple leaf to the committee. They picked one that could be turned into fabric.

After a pattern was chosen, the math was finalized using variations of 2.5” squares. With a plan in place, the group selected their fabric colors for each season and got together for sewing sessions. With over 100 years of combined quilting experience, the ladies got together for sewing sessions. Pauline, Mary Ann, Jean and Barb each quilted one block and each block represented one of the four Pennsylvania seasons.

Mary Ann quilted the winter maple leaf as shown through the variations of blue fabrics; Barb quilted the green maple leaf, representing summer; the pink and purple maple leaf portrays spring and was done by Pauline and Jean’s yellow and red maple leaf block depicts fall. The quilt was named Season of Cornwall.

Alice Weaver and her husband, Harry were also part of the committee because they heard about the project. Alice was a former quilter with 20 years’ experience, was able to offer valuable insight, support and was the official cheerleader for the project.

Mary Ann, Barb, Pauline and Jean did not know one another before moving to Cornwall Manor. Their common interest and love for quilting eventually brought them together as artists and now as friends. The group has been quilting together for several years on many different projects like making pillowcases for Health Center residents and making cloth masks in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic.

Once each block or season was complete, the group got together for the final steps of sewing the sashing (blue border), cut and sewed the binding and Pauline faced (finished the edge of the quilt). Once almost finished, the quilt was taken to a professional long arm quilter, Donna Doberstein of Lebanon. Longarm quilting is the process by which a longarm sewing machine is used to sew together a quilt top, quilt batting and quilt backing into a finished quilt. This process applies a pantographic design, or dashed swirly line that gives the quilt a finished, polished, dimensional appearance.

“This was very rewarding that we established our own pattern,” shares Mary Ann. Barb interjected, “it just all came together the way it was supposed to. I’m so proud I had a small part in it.” “The colors are beautiful – just like Rita’s painting,” states Jean. “The hardest part of this project is finding time for all of us to get together. We’re all so busy at Cornwall Manor!” shares Pauline.

Once the quilt was finished, it was dropped off at Horst Signs in Myerstown to create two metal 48×48” panels to be hung on the outside of the Trailside barn. Special appreciation and credit are given to Mark Feener, who formed the masterpieces. In a special unveiling event on July 9, the panels were unveiled on the side of the barn during a special reception that included all the volunteers in the barn quilt project, Trailside volunteers, special guests and dignitaries.

We are all grateful to everyone involved in this barn quilt project. This special addition to our Trailside Organic Farm, accomplished by our caring community of residents and staff is one of many reasons why Cornwall Manor is the unique senior living community that it is.