The History of the Barn Quilt: A Symbol of the American Midwest

Geometric designs are painted onto the wood and were originally used to denote the family that owned the barn and land, since no two quilts were alike. Barn quilts are thought to date back around 300 years, when European immigrants brought the concept with them to Pennsylvania. Barns were generally not painted, so artwork was hung on the sides as a type of identification. Not long after, this painting style spread to other colonies. 

During the Revolutionary War, barn quilts became symbols for American forces to locate areas where supplies, and even sleeping arrangements, were readily available. These wood blocks are also believed to have served a similar purpose during the Civil War, as freedom seekers used them— along with actual, fabric quilts hung on clotheslines and in window sills— to find places of safety and receive secret codes.

Although most artists have, and still do, follow basic quilting patterns and transfer them onto the wooden canvas, many barn quilts stray from the norm, depicting a representation of certain familial traits or the specific crops that are growing on the nearby land. 

Prior to the quilts, hex signs were brought to America by German farmers in the 17th century. These artworks were also hung on the sides of barns and often included birds, hearts, and floral patterns. It is believed that the hex provided spiritual protection to the contents of the building on which it hung. 

While both hex signs and barn quilts had been used by Pennsylvania farmers to highlight the local culture for years, many historians credit Ohio native, Donna Sue Groves, for the spike in barn quilts post-2001. Groves painted a wooden quilt in honor of her mother and hung it on her tobacco barn. This kickstarted a widespread movement, as Groves herself decorated more barn quilts for the town, inspiring others to do the same.

Nowadays, “barn quilt trails” are on the rise as farms in rural counties advertise their barn art to accrue local tourism, even if that just means pulling off into a ditch and snapping a photograph.