Putnam County Barn Quilt Trail

The Putnam County Barn Quilt Trail is a student art project created by Brewster High School art students in collaboration with local historians and community partners. Each barn quilt design represents a historic or cultural site in Putnam County, combining local history with traditional American folk art.

The history of the American Barn Quilt can be traced back almost 300 years, a tradition older than Putnam County! Early homestead families created decorative yet distinctive quilt patterns to display on their barns not only as decoration but as a way for travelers to find families or directions/crossroads. Typical barn quilt designs include patterns from folk art, and geometric patterns of quilt squares, and may portray elements of anything from one’s heritage, the farm’s animals, and agriculture, to navigation and patriotism. (Resources: Barn Quilt Info, American Barn Quilts)