Beginning March 3, visitors to Walsh University’s Hoover Historical Center will have the opportunity to view a unique showing of quilts and various textiles that reflect North Canton history from the early 1800s through 2008.
Combining pieces from the Center’s collections with works from the North Canton Heritage Society, coverlets made by New Berlin resident Isaac Sheaffer in the 1800s and also by Benjamin Lichty will be among the textiles on display.
A full size signature crazy quilt with New Berlin residents’ names embroidered and painted on beautiful fabric pieces with fancy stitchery, will be available for viewing and guests to search for family names. A display of fancy stitches and fabric swatches are components of crazy quilts. Signature quilts were sometimes made as a fundraiser for a church, missionaries or even to support troops during a war by either selling the quilt at an auction or people paid to have their name included on the quilt. Also called “friendship quilts” it was common for a signature quilt to be given to a member of the community as a memento of an important community event.
Among the vintage pieces displayed will be a framed floral needlepoint made by the late Mary Hoover Price on loan courtesy North Canton Public Library’s The Little Art Gallery and a tablecloth signed by World War II veterans.
More current pieces will include quilts signed by various North Canton elementary students in the 1970s and 1980s.
This unique showing will be available for viewing through October. Center docents will be conducting tours hourly, at 1, 2, 3, & 4 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. Advance reservations are required for groups of 8 or more and morning tours are available weekdays. Admission is $5; children under 12 are free. For more information, phone the Center at 330-499-0287.
