Vigo County Historical Society

Historical Treasure Article

Historic Treasure of the Week - February 20, 1983

By Patricia F. Engelland

Vigo County Historical Society

Quilt expresses friendship

The red and white cotton quilt pictured above was the result of a fundraising project by the Ladies' Aid Society of the New Highland Christian Church of Terre Haute in 1898.

For a charge of 10 cents, a member's name was inscribed and embroidered. The completed quilt was given away. The yong man who received the quilt gave it to Mrs. Rutherford, a well-known citizen and active quilter for many projects.

New Highland Christian Church was located at what is now North 15th and Delaware Streets and was the forerunner of the Barbour Avenue United Methodist Church.

The design of the church is appliqued on the white background and its windows and doors are also appliqued. The panes are outlined in white stitches. The blocks with the church design were quilted with straight lines and the autograph blocks, which alternate with the designed blocks, were quilted with a double line of stitching. The pastors name, L. D. Pierce, is in the center of the quilt with the date.

This historic treasure could be called a signature, autograph or friendship quilt. It certainly expresses all three names.

The donors, Vane Rutherford and Vernon D. Washburn, gave this quilt to the Vigo County Historical Society in 1974. Visitors may view the quilt in the Victorian bedroom of the Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 South Sixth Street. An indexed list of the signatures is close by for those interested in reading through the names of the members of the New Highland Christian Church in 1989 who were part of the autograph quilt.

The Historical Museum will be closed until March 1.