About the quilt & barn

Address:

2121 Plymouth Gageville Road, Ashtabula

Directions:

From Interstate 90, go south on Route 193 at the Kingsville exit. After crossing Ashtabula River at Gageville, Plymouth Gageville Road will be on the right. Turn right to destination.

Sponsors:

John and Tina Carpenter

Artists:

John and Tina Carpenter

The quilt:

4×4 feet, double windmill

The Farm:

The Carpenters’ 48 acres roll north from the ridge toward the Ashtabula River, the northern boundary of the farm. The excellent air and water drainage made the ridge a good choice for orchards, and scattered around the farm are old apple trees from decades ago.

The farmhouse, circa 1900, and farm were purchased by Tina’s parents in 1956. They lived in Ashtabula Harbor and used the farm as a getaway, not a residence. Tina and her first husband acquired the property in 1969. After his death, Tina and John married, and John greatly preferred the farm to his home in the city.

“I love it out here,” he says.

The garage was selected as the location for the barn quilt because it is visible from the road. The pattern, double windmill, is a nod to their heritage in both color scheme and pattern. A lot of John’s ancestors on his father’s side were Dutch; his wife’s heritage is Finnish and Swedish, commemorated in the color s scheme.