Elgin County Heritage Centre Closure – November 11th, 2023
November 9, 2023
Signature Quilts
Sunday, September 20, 2009 to Sunday, February 28, 2010
Dutton Methodist Church Quilt, 1890
When the Methodist Church in Dutton burned down in 1890, the congregation immediately started a rebuilding campaign. This quilt was made by the Ladies Aid to help fund the new church, which still stands at the corner of Mary and Nancy Streets in Dutton. It is remarkable for recording the names of the architect, contractor and building committee in its colourful design.
St. Thomas Central United Church Quilt, 1919
This quilt was presented to Rev. S.L. Toll upon his departure in 1919 from the Methodist Episcopal Church, now known as St. Thomas Central United Church. The congregation was originally composed mainly of railway workers, many of whom worked for the Canada Southern Railway, and of shopkeepers who had come to town following the beginning of the railway boom.
St. Thomas First United Church Quilt, 1925-30
Created between 1925-30, this quilt combines a series of patchwork blocks with embroidered blocks and does not seem to be related to a specific occasion or event. Among the recognizable names on the quilt is that of Ross Osgoode, a well-known St. Thomas painter who was active before World War II.
Frome United Church Quilt, 1969
This quilt was created in 1969 for the 150th anniversary of the founding of the first congregational church in Canada, formed in Southwold Township in 1819. Frome Church which joined the United Church of Canada in 1925, continues to draw strong support from the descendants of many of the 685 hand-lettered names inscribed on the quilt.
Minnie Williams Quilt, 1917
Minnie Williams was the teacher at SS#5 (Malahide) Dunboyne, who received this quilt from her class as a present on the occasion of her leaving to get married in 1917. She had been teaching over 40 students in the small confines of the rural one-room school house which continued to be use until 1964. (On loan to the Museum by the Williams family.)
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