4th Annual Historic Barns and Quilts Tour--Freeport, Maine

Enjoy a beautiful early autumn day on the scenic back roads of Freeport on our 4th Annual Historic Barns & Quilts tour sponsored by Freeport Historical Society.

 

 On Saturday, October 5th, from 9:00 am till 3:00 pm, this very special event will feature visits to four unique barns built during the late 18th through the early 20th centuries. Select vintage and antique quilts are organized by theme (for example, children’s quilts) and will be displayed and discussed at each barn.

 

 Leading the tours are quilt expert, Kathy Kenny and barn expert, Don Perkins.

 

 Highly regarded quilt historian, fiber artist, educator, and lecturer, Kathy Kenny, will share here vast knowledge of vintage quilts and the world of quilting.

 

 Through the displayed vintage quilts we will deepen our understanding of the economic role of women and how quilt patterns and styles reflect local, regional, and national events. As the very fabric of rural life, quilts reflect the economy, personal choice, and necessity of life. If you think quilts are just pretty, decorative coverings, then this part of the tour will change your mind. You’ll end this tour with a new appreciation of quilts, the stories they have to tell, and our textile history.

 

Don Perkins is an educator, journalist and author of the just published book, Our Barns: A History of Barns in Maine.

 

Through Don, we’ll learn about the historic roles of barns in the evolution of farmsteads and how northern New England economics of mixed farming and home-industry created a unique architectural response. Our tour will examine the shifts in barn construction and how those shifts related to the evolving economic challenges and technological changes confronting farmers in our area.

 

The social, cultural and economic lives of those who lived in coastal Northern New England will be further illuminated through an examination of barns and quilts.

 

At 9:00 am the event begins with coffee and orientation at Cotton Weeds Quilt Shop on Rt. 1 South in Freeport. After touring the final barn, we’ll conclude the afternoon with lively music by acoustic musician, Dave Peloquin. There will be a contemporary quilt exhibit, cider and donuts, and a tour of the timber frame barn at the Houses and Barns by John Libby barn on Rt. 136, True Road in Freeport.  Lunch is brown bag. Bring a folding chair or blanket and we’ll eat on a local farm field.

 

Freeport Historic Barns & Quilts Tour is a fundraiser of Freeport Historical Society. Tickets are $35.00pp and must be purchased in advance. These can be purchased online via Mastercard, VISA or your PayPal account at www.freeporthistoricalsociety.org (hit the online donation button, enter your ticket amount, and send) or by check (mail to 45 Main Street, Freeport, ME 04032.)  FMI: 207-865-3170 or www.freeporthistoricalsociety.org

 

 **The event has sold-out each year. Don’t be disappointed-- reserve today!

 

Freeport Historic Barns & Quilts tour is sponsored by Houses& Barns by John Libby, Cotton Weeds Quilt Shop, Mariners’ Compass Quilt Shop in Bath and Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, Warren.

 

FMI: Contact Freeport Historical Society at (207)865-3170 or info@freeporthistoricalsociety.org