Barn Quilt Mural Adds To Exterior Of Bradbury Hall

The new barn quilt being hung on the side of Bradbury Hall (photo submitted)

Oskaloosa, Iowa – There’s something new to see when driving down Glendale Road, just after it turns into Merino Ave north of Oskaloosa. The Mahaska County Historical Society has installed a new Barn Quilt Mural on the west exterior of Bradbury Hall on the Nelson Pioneer Farm.

The history of barn quilts began in America in the 1840s with the Pennsylvania Dutch. Before then, most barns were unpainted because of high cost of pigments and oils. As the ingredients for paint became more affordable, the Pennsylvania Dutch began to paint & decorate their barns, which had been their tradition in Germany. Many itinerant artists specialized in barn decorating. They combined many kinds of folk designs, including geometric patterns and quilt square patterns. Many have special meaning. Barn decorating peaked in the early 20th century, then lost popularity as less expensive paints became easily available. It wasn’t until the 21st century that barn quilts became popular again. Quilt trails have been developed in many states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Iowa.

The Building & Grounds Committee of the Mahaska County Historical Society looked at many Barn Quilt Mural patterns that were available through Prairie Sky Barn Quilts and chose one called Mosaic Star. The colors blue and burgundy were chosen because they are traditional colors which are also found in other Nelson Farm signage and souvenirs.

Board members John Parker and Jim Howard hung the barn quilt mural on the west side of the MCHS rental building, “Bradbury Hall”. Everyone is invited to visit the historical society’s Nelson Pioneer Farm to see the new addition.