Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College

The Lost River Educational Foundation sponsors the Hardy County Barn Quilt Trail Project which was originally instigated by the Hardy County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Hanging painted wooden Barn Quilt squares or rectangles on buildings along the byways and highways throughout the county increases interest in our region’s rich culture and history. They help visualize our Appalachian Heritage, acknowledge the contributions of rural women and their quilts, and provide eye-catching and attractive images for visitors to the county.

The Barn Quilt Trail phenomenon has grown in popularity around West Virginia, as well as in other states and countries. In Hardy County, the original funding for the project came through grants from the Hardy County Tour and Craft Association and the Hardy County Community Foundation. Additionally, the Hardy County Convention and Visitors Bureau offers four grants each year to assist individuals to hang a Barn Quilt on their barn. TriCounty Tool Rentals in Moorefield assists with equipment for hanging the quilt squares. The painting, installation, and organizational work is done by volunteers.

The project has been around for several years, and people see how much Barn Quilts contribute to continued efforts to enhance our already lovely county. A trail map is available for locating existing quilts. Information is available about how to participate by commissioning a quilt square, getting a square you made on the trail map, and learning how to paint your own quilt square. We would love to have you join us!

The Barn Quilt which adorns the Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College is a stylized rendition of the college’s logo, which represents the five areas of education - Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math ( STEAM). It is visible from Corridor H - Route 48/55.

“The quilt needed to be seen from the highway by motorists traveling at 65-plus miles per hour,” said designer Michele Mouré Reeves. I chose the colors because they are visible from a great distance.”

The Eastern Barn Quilt was conceptualized by Mouré-Reeves and painted by Lost River Educational Foundation volunteer Sharon Music. The Barn Quilt was funded in part by the Hardy County Barn Quilt Grant program of Visit Hardy (the Hardy County Convention and Visitors Bureau).