All 31 Washington Counties join on a U.S. 250th quilt; Whitehall woman’s square

By Ben Westcott, Chronicle Staff Writer

Mary Ward of Whitehall created a quilt square inspired by Washington County’s logo that will be sewn together with squares from the other 30 Washington Counties in the United States in celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday.

The idea, the brainchild of Tim Reavis of Washington County, Arkansas, is to “find a way to bring all the Washington Counties together,” said Washington County (New York) Tourism info.

“Once completed, the quilt will travel to each participating county for public display. Once the quilt has circulated throughout the country, it will be on display in the National Quilting Museum in Paducah, KY.” It will also be submitted to The Smithsonian for consideration.

Mary Ward “learned to sew at age nine through 4-H and continued honing her skills in Home Economics classes during junior high school,” said the tourism press release. She donated her time to make the square.

The design “reflects the industry and agriculture that form the fabric of the county — honoring the waterways that powered early mills and the farmlands that produced the raw materials that fostered local enterprise.

“Fittingly, the quilter resides in Whitehall, which is recognized as the birthplace of the Continental Navy under the command of Benedict Arnold. Whitehall’s access to timber and water made Revolutionary War shipbuilding possible.”

The quilt is expected to be completed before July 4. Its travel schedule has not been determined yet.

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