Barn quilts aren’t actually heirloom blankets, but the painted panels are often made with a similarly cozy idea in mind. Affixed to the outside of a building, they can symbolize home or welcome strangers with bright colors and bold geometries that proclaim a site’s identity. Barn-quilt trails have drawn tourists to back roads in Franklin and Orange counties for years; soon, a similar path will invite them to the Northeast Kingdom. Over the past few months, volunteers and residents of buildings owned by affordable-housing nonprofit RuralEdge have been busily planning and painting new barn quilts that will grace the exteriors of 11 properties across the region. Each design reflects a unique community of renters and their stories, some featuring distinct imagery such as an iconic mill in Gilman and legendary monster Memphré — Lake Memphremagog’s answer to Champ — in Newport.
‘Stitching Communities Together’ Barn Quilt Unveilings Friday, August 14, 3-4 p.m., at 125 Mountain View Drive in St. Johnsbury, and Thursday, August 20, 3-4 p.m., at the Newport Municipal Gym.
This article appears in August 12 • 2026.
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