Sullivan County

Allandale Barn

The Allandale property was donated to the City of Kingsport by the Brooks Family in the 1960s. The classic Georgian Architecture mansion was built in the mid-20th century. The quilt block on the event barn is not a representation of a material quilt, but a chosen pattern to reflect Tennessee pride. It is a modern pattern. Read more about Allandale Mansion’s history at:

Pattern: Stars Over Tennessee

Website: http://www.allandalemansion.com

Aunt Willies Wildflowers

In 1860, Stephen Adams and Barbara Galloway Adams willed the original 65 acres of the now Cherry Hill Farm to Emmaline Adams, who soon married J.W.P. Doan. In the 1860s, JWP, his dad and brothers (all woodworkers) built the log barn and white frame farmhouse (the Homeplace) which both still stand on the property. JWP and Emmaline had only one child, Ed, who married Clara Foust, and they raised their four children, Willie, Sue, Horace, and D. Bruce, at the homeplace. The farm was divided among these children and then passed on to their heirs (the current generation; current owner, Roy, is Bruce’s son).
Roy and Linda Doan chose the colorful Bear Claw pattern when Roy’s Aunt Willie’s (Willie Doan Deakins) quilts were divided among family. It is on a barn built around 1800, a double crib log structure. Through the years the barn has been used for livestock, hay, and storing small grain crops. In the 1920s, Ed and Clara Foust Doan bought the barn along with 68 adjoining acres known as “the Akard farm.” To help pay for the new property, the Doans grew strawberries on the new land, loaded the berries onto a wagon and drove them to Bristol for sale. Today Roy & Linda Doan operate Aunt Willies Wildflowers, growing specialty cut flowers for bouquets (for sale at the Kingsport Farmers Market) and events. Linda’s on-farm flower arranging workshops are very popular! All flowers are farm grown. Some are heirloom and some are just plain pretty. Visit their website at:

Pattern: Bear Claw

Website: http://auntwillieswildflowers.com/

Bagel Exchange

The Bagel Exchange is happy to bring freshly baked authentic New York bagels to Downtown Kingsport for breakfast and lunch. They mixed their own savory & sweet creamcheese blends, and offered a wide selection of hot and cold custom bagel sandwiches. Tuesday – Friday: 7:00 am – 2:30 pm; Saturday: 7:30 am – 2:30 pm. The quilt was submitted and painted by Jill Parsons. Her grandmother Pauline Joyce Taylor quilted it in the 1960s; Pauline was born and raised on a sharecropping farm off of Stone Drive in the Indian Springs community of Kingsport. She married Mack Taylor in 1935. In addition to being a nurse at Holston Valley Hospital pediatrics, she started the Kingsport Farmer’s Market with Mack and continued to help manage it for many years.

Pattern: Tumbling Blocks

Artist: Jill Parsons and family

Website: http://thebagelexchange.biz/

Bailey Farm

Pattern: Cross of Thorns

Artist: Carolyn Bailey and family

C. Earhart Barn

The Tulip Variation block was taken from a quilt owned by the Earharts that was made by a family member. The block was painted as a school art project by Sullivan East High School.

Pattern: Tulip Variation

Artist: Painted by Sullivan East High School students

Carriage House

Open for over 40 years, the Carriage House is a tradition for the crafty in Kingsport: offering custom framing, yard and needlework supplies, and lots of fun gifts. As for the quilt square, Annie Tipton (b. Oct. 20, 1888 and d. Mar. 31, 1988) was raised in Sullivan Gardens a descendant of Col. John Tipton who was an officer in the Revolutionary War (and whose life is memorialized at Tipton-Hayes Historic Site in Johnson City), and of Hal Massengill Jr. (whose home in the late 1700’s is now Rocky Mount Living History Museum). Annie married Herbert Riggs and they raised their family in the Sullivan Gardens community of Kingsport (what was then called “Clover Bottom”). Annie and Herbert donated the land for Glen Alpine United Memorial Church to be built. Their descendants remember that Annie was an avid quilter, always sewing something for her children and grandchildren. Contributor Jill Riggs Rich, Kingsport (relation to quilter: granddaughter)has a quilt square on her family farm in Sullivan Gardens Kingsport.

Pattern: Bay Window

Childress Brothers Farm

In the late 1920s, Alice Steadman Childress (the mother of the Childress Brothers: Fred, Frank, and Carl) made the Dutch Girl quilt. The square was done by the children (including 5th generation Childresses) and their art teacher at Sullivan Middle School, Betty O’Neill. Alice Childress became ill after her boys were born, and she had her sisters help her quilt. Alice made heirloom quilts for her sons, placed their names on them, and stored them in a cedar chest. The barn was built in the late 1920s or 1930 by the Childress brothers’ grandfather, John Childress, and his sons, Tom C. (the Childress brothers’ father), John Earl, and Tipton Childress. The barn is an example of a vanishing American landmark, “an advertising barn”, with the slogan, Freels Drug Store, still visible. The barn has been moved “up the creek 1/4 mile” from its original site after what is now Interstate 26 was constructed. In 1985 a new roof was added, along with stables, a second floor hay loft, a third floor hay fork, corn crib, and gear room, and a 14-foot shed on each side. The original Childress Farm homeplace, which burned in 1976, was built by Peter Easley on a portion of a land grant made to his father, Stephen Easley, in 1782. The Easleys were among the earliest settlers in the Horse Creek Valley. The Childress family acquired the farm in 1894. Across from the barn, near the Interstate 26/Sullivan Gardens Parkway interchange, still stands the once bustling Childress Store, the oldest landmark in the Horse Creek/Sullivan Gardens area. Trips were made to Bristol to purchase supplies. Food groceries were delivered to the store by Kingsport-based groceries. Travellers would stop at the store, board at homeplace, and put horses in the barn. The store/farm was also the center of a larger commerce network. Fertilizer came in by rail from Nashville Eggs were bought from the community and shipped to New York. Specialty items like walnut kernels were bought and took to Bristol to sell. Turkeys were shipped live or dressed with ice in barrels. They drove cattle from the store to rail cars in Kingsport to ship to Baltimore. The oldest Esso gas station in East Tennessee was also operated at the store.

Pattern: Dutch Girl Quilt

Artist: Painted by Sullivan Middle School and the Childres

Cindy Saadeh Fine Art Gallery

Carrying local and regional art and handcrafted gifts. Original Oil Painting, Pastel, Watercolor, Woodworking, Photography, Jewelry, Pottery, Glass, Fiber Arts, Prints. Or maybe you want to get in touch with your inner artist: contact the gallery for upcoming workshops, “painting parties”, and other creative artistic services. There’s always something fun going on at the gallery, from special artist features, to discount days, to First Thursdays Downtown, so stop on by!

Pattern: Grandmother’s Fan

Website: http://www.cindysaadeh.com

Cleek Farms

The Charles and Margaret Cleek Family Farm, now operated primarily by their youngest daughter Kay and husband Zane Vanover was originally from lands claimed as a portion of the Pendleton land grant in 1756. The 3,000 acre land grant was given to Edmund Pendleton and remained primarily wilderness. In 1793 a log home was constructed by Samuel Moore on the property; according to Sullivan County records the property was known as Meadowplace. It is not currently known how Mr. Moore received the land from Pendleton. However, the original structure of the home he built is still present today on the property. Some county residents believe that the original log structure is the oldest home place in what is now present day Sullivan County. Samuel Moore’s daughter Letitia married John S. Gaines. Mr. Gaines and his wife received 160 acres as a bounty for his service in the War of 1812. It is on this land that they built a home on the area now known as the Exchange Place or Gaines-Preston Farm–also on the Quilt Trail. To preserve the farm for future generations, and seeing a reduction in the number of farms as a part of our modern society, the farm is committed to agricultural tourism and education for the public. On-Farm activities are designed to be fun and informative for families. Their website is:

Pattern: Churn Dash

Artist: Painted by Jill Parsons

Website: http://www.cleekfarms.com

Coates Barn

The quilt this mural was patterned after was made by Paul Coates Mother-In-Law who grew up on the farm. She was part Cherokee Indian and often used bright colors in her quilts. The mural was painted by art students at nearby Sullivan South High School. They were led in this effort by Art Instructor Betty O’Neill. The floral detail in the center star was painted by a female student who returned to her native Mexico upon her graduation in May 2004.

Pattern: Stars and Cubes

Artist: Painted by Sullivan South High School students, in

Courtyard Restaurant

Quilter: Mary Hite Grills (b. April 13, 1897 & d. March 4, 1989). The Hites were early settlers of the Rock Springs community, migrating south out of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. Mary Hite married Ben Grills in 1919. Before her marriage she was a teacher at Pactolus School. She and Ben raised their children on the old Miller Farm, where interstates I-81 and I-26 now connect. Her love of quilting is shown by the many quilts she left for her grandchildren. Contributor: Jill Riggs Rich, Kingsport (relation to quilter: granddaughter)

Pattern: Old Maid’s Patience

Artist: Painted by Faye Boushley

Exchange Place Barn

Exchange Place Historic Farm portrays 1800’s pioneer life in East Tennessee. Information on hours and events can be found at their website below. The “Cross and Crown” is a rather unique quilt design; the more common quilting followed the pattern of each piece rather than an overall design of its own. This “elbow design” quilting followed a fan shape; the elbow moved for the next line of quilting about ½-inch away. The designer had an eye for simplicity, using only two fabrics and alternating the patterned squares. The quality of the stitching is excellent. The “Cross and Crown” pattern is displayed on the post-and-beam barn originally built in 1921 by John Preston to replace an older deteriorating log barn. The pattern is taken from a quilt donated as a Preston family artifact to the restored Exchange Place Farm. The Preston family lived at the Exchange Place in 1848 to 1925, the land having been obtained by John M. Preston through a trade with John Gaines, who had owned it since 1816. The exchange of property may account for the Exchange Place name, but it is more commonly held that the name is derived from its function as a stagecoach stop where horses and currency were exchanged. John presented the land to his son, James W., upon his marriage to Catherine Ann Greenway. Their son, John, built the existing barn, which was restored in the 1980’s.

Pattern: Cross and Crown

Website: http://www.exchangeplace.info

Frank Gibson Law

Quilter Virginia McClellan Bailey (1867-1959) was born and raised in the Sullivan Gardens community of Kingsport (what was then called “Clover Bottom”). Her husband, Dr. Rufus Kelly Bailey, was a country doctor who did surgery in the parlor of their home and rode out on horseback and buggy to visit patients. They raised their family on the Bachman-McClellan family farm on Lone Star Road that is still in the family today. Virginia was deaf, and as a result of her handicap did a lot of quilting and sewing. She sewed this quilt in the early 1900s. Contributor: Mary Bailey Faulkner, Fall Branch, (relation to quilter: granddaughter)& friends painted this quilt block in memorial to her grandmother.

Pattern: Old Maid’s Puzzle

Artist: Painted by Mary Faulkner

Gem Theater Building

This quilt square was submitted by Kingsport police force officer, Lt. Rick Meredith, who retired in 2012 after 27 years of service; his grandmother, Cartha Stephens Chesser, who was from the Gap Creek community in Carter County.

Pattern: Pinwheel Flower

Website: http://downtownkingsport.org

Haggle Shop Alleyway

The Grills began selling antiques and consignment in downtown Kingsport in 1964. Today the Haggle Shop consists of 2 buildings and 4 stories, hundreds of dealers, and endless good finds. Find them at 154 Commerce St. and 147 Broad St. The Sunbonnet Sue quilt was made by Fern Johnson of Kingsport in 1933 and was submitted by her son, Hal Johnson.

Pattern: Sunbonnet Sue

Website: http://www.haggleshopantiques.com

Harvest of Hope Community Garden

Quilter Pauline Joyce Taylor (1918-2012)was born and raised on a sharecropping farm off of Stone Drive in the Indian Springs community of Kingsport. She married Mack Taylor in 1935. In addition to being a nurse at Holston Valley Hospital pediatrics, she started the Kingsport Farmer’s Market with Mack and continued to help manage it for many years. Her descendants remember her as always being busy with quilting, sewing, gardening, bowling for the TN Senior Olympics, and excelling at all of the hobbies she enjoyed. Pauline’s Tumbling Blocks quilt inspired the quilt mural at 107 W. Center St. Contributor Jill Taylor Parsons (relation to quilter: granddaughter), Kingsport painted the square with her family in memorial to her grandmother.

Pattern: Grandmother’s Flower Garden

Artist: Jill Parsons and Faye Boushley

Holston Habitat for Humanity ReStore

The Holston Habitat for Humanity ReStore sells reusable and surplus building materials to the public. We focus on home improvement goods like furniture, home accessories, building materials and appliances. ReStore resale outlets accept donated goods which are sold to the general public at a fraction of the retail price. The proceeds help fund the construction of Habitat homes within our communities. ReStore resale outlets provide an environmentally and socially responsible way to keep good, reusable materials out of the waste stream while providing funding for Habitat’s community improvement work. The square was painted by Kingsport Art Guild member Faye Boushley, who rescued the Log Cabin quilt at a garage sale.

Pattern: Log Cabin

Artist: Faye Boushley

Website: http://www.facebook.com/HolstonHabitatForHumanityReStore

Houston Farm (Starnes)

Sixth generations of family have called Houston Farm home. The full history of this designated Century Farm can be found at:

Pattern: Basket

Website: http://www.tncenturyfarms.org/sullivan_county/#Houston_Farm

Kathy’s Korner Cafe

Kathy’s Korner is a Kingsport tradition, open for breakfast and lunch, serving hearty home style cooking. Old-fashioned burgers, sandwiches, and daily specials. Kathy’s grandmom quilted her a yellow and black butterfly quilt that reminds her of the Butterly Block mural hanging on her building. The Butterfly Block quilt was contributed by Lt. Rick Meredith, an officer with the Kingsport Police Department since 1985. The quilt was sewed by his grandmother, Cartha Stephens Chesser (1906-1964), who was from the Gap Creek community in Carter County. She sewed this quilt in the mid 1900’s. Lt. Meredith spent his summers with his grandmother and she was highly influential in his childhood rearing. We include these quilts as a tribute to Lt. Meredith’s service to Kingsport. During his time as Accreditation Manager for the Kingsport Police Department, the force was internationally accredited and recognized for the highest standard of professionalism multiple times.

Pattern: Butterfly Block

Kingsport Farmers Market

These agrarian-themed patterns were painted in 2012 by students at Cora Cox Academy. Information on hours and vendors at:

Pattern: Corn & Basket

Artist: Cora Cox Academy Students with area artists

Website: http://kingsporttn.gov/kingsport-farmers-market

L. Earhart Barn

The 'Tennessee Star' quilt pattern was popular during the late 1800’s through the early and mid 1900's. This block was painted as a class art project by Blountville Middle School.

Pattern: Tennessee Star

L. Thomas Barn

Pattern: Dutch Girl

Lady Barn

The 9-Patch is a pattern that was commonly used in quilt making. The Lady barn just off Interstate 81 in Sullivan County displays this design used in a quilt made by Mrs. R.C. Lady. In this particular pattern, the bow ties were connected to form a Nine Patch block. Mrs. Lady would use the leftover material from dresses she made for her children to piece quilts. A common social event, women of the community would meet at a home to help “finish a quilt.” On occasion they would gather together to spend the day laughing and gossiping as they quilted, stopping to eat a hearty lunch consisting of whatever delectable dish each lady chose to bring. The Lady Farm property was owned in 1860 by Arch Brunner who that year built a two-story, four-room log house and store. It is believed that his daughter and son-in-law, Landon Patton, inherited it. These were built near the first permanent Baptist church in Sullivan County, Kendrick’s Creek Baptist Church, later changed to Double Springs Baptist Church as two large nearby springs were the source of water for the church and surrounding families. The property was bought by Thomas S. Hargis in 1890 with additions to the back of the log house and siding placed over the logs in later years. Mr. R.C. Lady bought the property on November 15, 1911, and later in 1918 bought 29 additional acres.

Pattern: Bow-Tie Set in a 9 Patch Sampler

Lynn View Senior Center

Lynn View High School opened it’s doors to the first students in the fall of 1948. The school colors chosen were green and white, which are represented in the quilt square. The last graduating class crossed the threshold in the spring of 1980 and Lynn View ceased to exist as a high school. The facilities served as Lynn View Middle School until 2003. TriCities Christian School used the school until 2008. Now it is Lynn View Community Center, which offers the community several different uses and capabilities. It hosted the Quilt Trail’s painting studio for the downtown Kingsport walking trail in 2013.

Pattern: Tree of Life

Website: http://www.kingsportparksandrecreation.org

Maple Farm (F. Thomas)

Built in the 1854 by Frederick Shultz Thomas, the barn on Maple Farm boasts the Log Cabin, a design chosen from a quilt lovingly stitched by a dear neighbor and cousin of the original landowners. Anna Mahaffey Thomas used only her best material in making the quilt, and had quite an artistic eye as evidenced by the blend of colors. The Log Cabin was a popular pattern and provided many women a chance to showcase their artistic ability. These masterpieces were created by using their best material, strips of old clothes and fabrics they were fond of, and placing them in the intricate Log Cabin design. These works of art were often sentimental as well as functional, with memories recalled by admiring the old fabrics that were used. Frederick and Hannah Worley Thomas built their house on the property in 1856. They had 9 children before Mr. Thomas died. The widowed Mrs. Thomas sold grain and feed to Confederate soldiers. She hid grain and food in the attic to feed the animals and children. Maple Farm has been productive through the years, providing the owners’ livelihood with the raising of dairy, beef, sheep, hogs, chickens as well as hay and tobacco. The 7th generation currently lives on the farm.

Pattern: Log Cabin

Market St. Parking Garage

Quilter Vonia Lou Dunham Carroll (1888-1968) was born and raised in Surgoinsville, TN. She was a second generation American, since her father originally hailed from Switzerland. Vonia was married to Rev. Ferdinand Tilford Carroll, a Baptist circuit rider, a traveling clergyman who rode horseback around the region to minister and organize rural congregations. Her descendants remember her enjoyment of all sewing hobbies, including quilting, embroidery, and croquet. She sewed this patriotic quilt in the early 1900s. Contributor: Patricia Mullins, Kingsport, TN (relation to quilter: granddaughter)

Pattern: Patriotic Star

Massengill Barn

The Massengill Farm is the oldest Century Farm in Tennessee, coming from a family that was one of the first to settle west of the Appalachians. (A fuller history of the farm can be found at the site below. The Triple Irish Chain Block design came from a quilt that Ms. Sallie Massengil-Bell has on display at her home. The quilt was made by her mother in the early 1900’s when the Irish Chain pattern was popular among quilters. The block was painted as a class art project by the Mary Hughes Middle School, under the direction of Ms. Barbara Miller. Each student in the middle school had a hand in painting this work of public art.

Pattern: Triple Irish Chain

Artist: Painted by Mary Hughes Middle School, instructor B

Website: http://www.tncenturyfarms.org/sullivan_county/#Masengill_Farm

Mottern Farm

The Mottern barn quilt was painted in 2017 by Robert Mottern III on a barn built in 1941 by Robert Mottern, Sr. The original use was for hay storage and to house 2 work horses and a few milk cows. In later years the barn was used for hanging and drying tobacco.

Pattern: Lone Star

Artist: Robert Mottern, III

Netherland Inn

The Netherland Inn quilt was found underneath the Inn’s attic floors boards during a roof renovation. It is dated to be sewn before the Civil War, perhaps hidden during the war to keep it safe. The quilt is on display at the Inn, which is open for tours during special events and festivals. The Netherland Inn is a historic inn and boat yard on the Holston River, managed by an all-volunteer organization. More on the inn’s, and Kingsport’s, significance to larger trade routes at:

Pattern: Crown of Thorns variation

Artist: Painted by Emily Bidgood

Website: http://www.netherlandinn.com

Newland Farm

Pattern: Ohio Star

Pappy’s Custom Screen Printing & Motorcycle Apparel

Pappy’s is one of the oldest businesses in downtown Kingsport and is in one of the oldest buildings in downtown Kingsport, in the historic Main Street area. The building was originally Ward’s Feed, another one of the oldest businesses in downtown, now on Revere St. Onsite they sell custom Motorcycle apparel and are the home of the TriCities Motorcycle Club which is well known for their local community charity work. The Crows Feet square reminds owner, Pappy Vineyard, of the mysterious side of life and the work of one of Pappy’s favorite writers, Edgar Allen Poe(crows & ravens); also of crow’s feet wrinkles, symbols of wisdom and living a life filled with laughter and smiling. The original quilt was made by Ina Francisco, submitted by Bettye Creasy.

Pattern: Crows Feet

Public Library

Quilter Hassie Coffey (1919-1999) lived in Blountville. Her grandson, contributor J.R. East, remembers how much she loved to sew and give away quilts to her family members. She sewed this quilt in 1965 when she was 46 years old.
J.R. East and friends painted this quilt mural in memorial to his grandmother.

Pattern: Gentleman’s Bowtie

Website: http://www.kingsportlibrary.org

Riggs Farm

The current generation of Riggs are the sixth generation of family to live on this farm. Jill Riggs Rich’s grandmother, Annie, loved her life amidst these ‘rocks and hills,’ as she described them, and lived to be 99 ½ years old. In the 1980s, upon Jill’s graduation from ETSU, ‘Mimaw’ Annie made the Dresden plate quilt as a gift. Her love for – and skill in – sewing, quilting, and other needle work was well known throughout the community. And when she became physically unable to quilt, she simply began crocheting afghans for each family member and other close friends, just ‘to keep my hands busy.’ Many people throughout Sullivan Gardens and the Glen Alpine church community were recipients of her love for sewing. The Riggs farm is part of the original Nathan Bachman estate, located in the Cloverbottom section of what is now known as Sullivan Gardens. The farm was inherited by Ann Elizabeth Bachman Tipton and her husband, George Tipton, from Jane Bachman in 1878, at which time they moved from Hawkins County to the Horse Creek area. In 1907, Ann and George’s daughter Annie married Hubert Riggs, Sr., and four children – Elizabeth Riggs Steadman, Paul Riggs, Jack Riggs and H.L. Riggs, Jr. – were subsequently born to the marriage. In 1928, Hubert and Annie purchased the Tipton farm from the remaining heirs, and the farm has been owned and operated since that time by the Riggs family. The Tipton and Riggs families were both actively involved in the educational and spiritual growth of the community. In 1881, George Tipton and Samuel Bachman decided to explore the formation of a school for the Horse Creek section of the county. The late Dr. E.W. Tipton, a beloved Kingsport physician and son of George Tipton, recalled the conversation for the Kingsport Times in October 1939: Sam Bachman said, ‘George, what are we going to do about our children? The school closest to us is four miles away, and the little fellows can’t be expected to make that distance on foot over a mud road. Are we going to let them grow up without a chance to get any schooling?’ George Tipton replied, ‘Do you see that log house over there on the hill? There’s nobody living in it, and I’d be glad to donate it as a school house, board a teacher and help the rest of the neighbors with her pay if we can get one.’ And so was born Horse Creek Academy, the first school in the area, located approximately a half mile from the current site of Sullivan Middle School (formerly Sullivan High School). The pupils – all 20 or so of them – learned to read, write, spell and make figures. Each student was equipped with a slate, a piece of soap stone pencil, a Webster’s Blueback speller, a McGuffey reader and an arithmetic book. In 1896, a Presbyterian group formed a Sunday School in the area and eventually constructed a frame building. Hubert L. Riggs, Sr. purchased the building in 1924 for $400, and it became the home for Glen Alpine Methodist (now Glen Alpine United Methodist Church) in 1929. The building was also used as additional classroom space for Horse Creek Academy, which was located across the road.

Pattern: Dresden Plate

Artist: Painted by Jill Parsons

River Mountain Antiques & Primitives

The Dykes are retired school teachers enjoying a second career as downtown Kingsport business owners. River Mountain Antiques is a diverse 2-story shop with antiques, gifts and unique clothing. Sheila Postell, Kingsport, submitted the Grandmother Flowers Garden quilt that was a wedding present from her grandmother, Pearl. Pearl McCrary Lady pieced this quilt in the 1920’s using leftover scraps from the calico dresses and clothes she sewed for her daughter. Her children and grandchildren remember her exceptional seamstress and homemaking talents. She was born in Falls Branch and moved to Kingsport with her husband, John Lady, who worked in several industries in the area, including the Kingsport Paper Mill, Holston Valley Hospital, and home construction.

Pattern: Grandmother’s Flower Garden

Sinking Creek

Grandmother’s Flower Garden hangs on the barn at Sinking Creek Farm. It is of special significance to the farm owner, as it is copied from a quilt made by her grandmother, Lena Jane Creasy. Hand pieced and hand quilted over 50 years ago, it was one of Ms. Creasy’s “fancier” efforts, more decorative than her earlier quilts.
The barn was built circa 1925. The current owner acquired the farm in 1996 and had the barn restored in 1998. It has six very large stalls and a huge hayloft. Like most barns in the area, it was used for livestock and for hanging tobacco crops.

Pattern: Grandmother's Flower Garden

Smith Family Farm

Walter and Malinda Smith bought the farm in 1946. They raised tobacco, corn and hay. They also had cattle and sold milk. Malinda Smith loved to sew. She sewed dresses for her daughters and would often use the scraps of material to make quilts. The Lone Star quilt was made in the late 1930s. Malinda Smith graduated from Holston High school in 1925. Her means of transportation was riding a horse. She had 3 children and each of them graduated from Holston High School. She had 5 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren who have attended Holston Elementary and Middle School. A farm and family with deep ties to the community!

Pattern: Lone Star

Sunny Side Farm

Pattern: Tulip Block

TriSummit Bank

Margaret “Maggie” Harlan was a successful private banker in Sullivan County in the mid 1800’s, a surprising profession for a woman at that time, but she had inherited wealth and was known as someone who would loan money. At that time there were no institutional banks in that area of Sullivan. It is actually not known if she enjoyed quilting herself or if she had this quilt commissioned for her, or if she purchased it from a quilter she knew. The quilt is of exceptional quality and is the oldest quilt to be represented in this project—around 150 years old. Margaret never married and so her cousin, Virginia McClellan Bailey inherited this quilt in the late 1800’s. Virginia Bailey later passed it down to her granddaughter, contributor Mary Bailey Faulkner, Fall Branch (Maggie Harlan was her grandmother’s cousin). Mary Faulkner & friends painted this quilt block in memorial to her ancestors. We thank TriSummit Bank for letting us connect the quilt and the history and evolution of the business of banking.

Pattern: Western Spy

Artist: Faye Boushley and friends

Up Against the Wall Gallery

The maker and origin of the Maple Leaf quilt is unknown. It was contributed by Faye Boushley, a quilt collector and antiques dealer in the Kingsport community. Faye is a member of the Kingsport Art Guild and was instrumental in helping start the downtown Kingsport Quilt Trail walking tour project. Most of the quilt squares have Faye’s artistic touch as she volunteered over 200 hours designing and painting.

Pattern: Maple Leaf

Artist: Faye Boushley

Yancey’s Tavern

The Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt square hangs on the barn located a short distance from Yancey’s Tavern. Both the tavern and barn are located on Island Road, Tennessee’s first wagon road, built in 1761, and oldest road still in use. The square was painted and constructed by Blountville artist, Anita Long, and her family and was inspired by a fragment of a quilt found behind a wall upstairs in Yancey’s Tavern during restoration. The artist carefully replicated the patterns of the 1920s dress fabrics in the quilt fragment, which was done in the “yo-yo” technique. It is believed to have been made by Mrs. John Spahr (1858-1936) or by her stepdaughter, Miss Mary Spahr (1886-1962), the last resident of Yancey’s Tavern. The Yancey’s Tavern story begins in 1780, when it was built by James Hollis. Here, he hosted the second meeting of the Sullivan County Commissioners. The County Commissioners continued to meet here, as well as at other homes, until the land for the county seat of Blountville was donated in 1792. In 1784, a tavern operator from Abingdon, Virginia, John Yancey, bought the Hollis house and opened it as Yancey’s Tavern, which remained in operation well into the 19th century. By the 1840s, ownership had passed to John Shaver, and the place was known as Shaver’s Inn. It was a regular stop for the stage from Abingdon as it was 10 miles from Blountville’s Deery Inn and 10 miles on to Kingsport’s Netherland Inn. Horses were changed every 10 miles, and drivers every 20 miles. The Eden’s Ridge post office, (which had previously been at Exchange Place) was located here from 1842 until 1866. It was during the Shaver period that the hewn logs were covered with poplar siding; however, the hewn and pegged rafters are still visible. During this time the plank poplar paneling was installed in the east upstairs room, and lath and plaster with chair rail updated the first floor. It is believed that the large fireplace mantels date from the Shaver period as well. Original plank doors with wrought iron strap hinges remain unchanged. In 1889, John Spahr, from Southwest Virginia, bought the house and 230 acres from the Shaver family. The house became the Spahr residence, and John built the present barn in 1903. Standing on a cut stone foundation, the enormous structure’s hewn timbers, marked with Roman numerals and joined with wooden pegs, appear to have come from an earlier barn. Spahr kept a detailed ledger of materials and costs during construction. Spahr Farm continued until the early 1950s when East Lawn Cemetery was founded. The cemetery now covers most of the farm. The only major change to the house after 1889 was the John Spahr’s addition of the dining room to connect the separate kitchen to the house. Spahr’s daughter, Mary, was the last of the family to occupy the house. After her death in 1962, the house remained vacant for the next 42 years. Minimal maintenance was done to the house during Mary’s occupancy as well as in later years by her heirs and nieces, Dorothy and Ruth Wexler. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Following the death of Ruth Wexler, the Sarah Spahr Wexler estate auction was held in September 2004. The barn was purchased by Dr. G.A. Agett, who made necessary repairs and did a badly needed cleaning out of old hay. The house was purchased by Rann Vaulx, who restored it for the pride and pleasure of the citizens of Sullivan County and the State of Tennessee. He furnished it with older reproductions of the late 18th century. The corner cupboard, blanket chest, and dining room table are early 19th century pieces. John Spahr’s barn ledger and the framed fragment of quilt are on display. Shown by appointment, Yancey’s Tavern is available for meetings of groups dedicated to historic preservation, patriotism, or genealogy and for church socials. Forty can be seated in three rooms for catered or covered dish luncheons or dinners. In 2006, Vaulx purchased the Spahr barn from Dr. Agett.

Pattern: Grandmother's Flower Garden