Barn Quilt

Some of the barn quilts around town are created to be specific to the place where they are located.   This one is outside the 'Irish' pub in town.  (They do have good food.)   

Barn Quilts originated in the U.S.  Most of the immigrants from Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands around 300 years ago came to this country because they were Amish, Mennonite, or Luthern and looking for religious freedom.   Many settled first in Pennsylvannia.  They felt they needed to protect their land from evil spirts/witches and bring good fortune to their crops and herds.  A barn quilt became sort of a talisman plus was used as a way to identify a farmstead.  They were painted using the geometric shapes evoked from handmade quilts.  As the immigrants moved out across the country, so did the tradition of adorning barns w/ these large quilt blocks.