The journey to the birthplace of the historic Berks County quilt began almost 20 years ago.
In 2005, Judy Bauer was at Reninger’s Antique Extravaganza in Kutztown when the object caught her attention. A retired English teacher who loves the history of quilts couldn’t believe what she saw.
“When I looked over the driveway, I saw a quilt,†Bauer said. “I was surprised that it was used as a table cover and that the items were on display.”
A 70-year-old Boyertown man, who has lived in Sunbury, Northumberland County since 1973, had a hunch that this was a signature quilt. She didn’t hesitate to bid on a quilt nearly 200 years ago when she saw it decorated with signatures, dates and photos.
However, since it was a gift from a recently deceased Virginia antique dealer and friend, the antique store was hesitant due to its emotional value to them. However, Bauer persisted and made an unmistakable offer.
“If you sold me this kilt, I respected it, studied it and promised it would be well taken care of,†she said.
Bauer’s first impression when he bought it was that it was a Virginia quilt. But the answer to this question remained, along with other mysteries. One thing is certain, it is the date of creation of the block, because each block is dated.
“It was made in 1844 and 1845, then there’s a big gap in the dates, and they jumped in 1850 and 51,†she said.
Shown to a friend
Bauer showed the quilt to Laurel Miller, 69, an old friend from Berks County, a missionary in Ivory Coast, West Africa, who wanted to learn more about the quilt.
Bauer showed it to Miller when his friend visited Burkes. Miller is a genealogist, historian, writer, and one of the founders of the Berks County Genealogist Society.
“I am in awe of his knowledge,†said Bauer. “It was his genealogy study that really solved some of the (quilting) mysteries.”
It didn’t take long for Miller to identify the origin of the quilt.
“I took a look at it and quickly learned that it was a Quaker quilt from the Maiden Creek Conference because of the name of the quilt family,” Miller said.
Miller said he was familiar with names such as Parvin, Lee, Lightfoot and Wright as a member of the Maiden Creek Reunion of Friends in Ontelony Township. Quilt names such as Saraboon and Elizabethley also belonged to the Meeting of Friends of Exeter in Exeter Township.
Lee’s block reads: “Elsabethley, 91 his age – 1851.”
Examining the Maiden Creek conference records, Miller determined that Elizabeth Lee died in 1853 at the age of 92 and was a conference member buried in the Friends of Excelter Cemetery.
“My first idea was, ‘How did you get to Virginia and how did you get home?’ Bauer said. “It’s like the quilt is about to come home.”
Connect the dots
Miller continued to connect the dots throughout genealogy, which ultimately led to the development of a mysterious solution.
She started by researching Mordecai S. Parvin’s name, which is printed on the back of the quilt to show ownership. Mordecai was the son of Jacob and Deborah (Star) Parvin, who were members of the Maiden Creek Conference. Jacob Parvin, also known as Quilt, was the owner of Parvin Homestead in historic downtown Berkeley in Ontelaunee Township.
One speculation is that the quilt was a wedding gift for Jacob and his wife, who got married around 1844.
“Mordecai, the youngest of Jacob’s children, was probably Jacob’s only surviving son and one of his father’s executors, so it probably ended up as a gift,†Miller said.
After Mordecai’s death, Miller assumes that the quilt was given to his daughter, Rebecca Pervin Spyker, who was the author of the Richmond Times Dispatch during WWII.
“This is probably how we got to Virginia,†Miller said.
Discussing with local historian George M. Mizer IX about his family in the quilt, Miller is at the Maiden Creek reunion to see if there is any mention of the quilt so she can better support his hypothesis. We plan to deepen the minutes.
Online survey
Overall, Miller appreciates how easy it is to connect with everyone involved in making quilts through an online survey of the Exceltor and Maiden Creek minutes currently available at www.ancestry.com. is.
“It was like putting a puzzle together,†she said. “You could really put a tree branch together the way they were all related.”
After learning more about the origin of the quilt, Bauer got involved.
“I swore to myself that one day I would put this kilt back on,†Bauer said.
Quilt presentation
She kept her promise during a presentation at Excelter’s Friends Reunion with Miller, who had been visiting from Africa for several weeks earlier this month. Among those who attended the quilt show was Deborah Carlin, a member of the Exeter reunion who helped organize the event.
Quilting enthusiast Carlin said that in addition to local Quakers and the general public, members of the local quilting guild also participated.
The three blocks were of particular interest to Bauer, as they were made of silk rather than cotton.
“Because of their anti-slavery beliefs, many Quakers only used free cotton, a fabric that did not use forced labor throughout production,†Bauer said. “It was sometimes difficult to get free cotton fabrics, so Quaker seamstresses replaced cotton fabrics with silk.”
The descendants of the Star family, who made several blocks in the quilt, visited the meeting house after the event.
“The next day, the descendants of the Star family, who now live in Wisconsin, arranged a tour of the reunion house,†Carlin said.
Quilt name
The 81 block quilt measures 102 x 105 inches. The name inscribed on the quilt was either the person who made the quilt or the person who wanted to enter their square, such as a husband or a child.
The square Miller suspects was created by the mother of a seven-year-old boy named Theodore Wiley, and is written as follows:
“Where’s the boy, but he’s three feet tall.”
Who has improved better than me? “
Some people used pens and ink to paint on blocks, like birds and blacksmiths working on the anvil. Others used the stamps commonly used on phone cards to engrave their names in the center of the block, but most were handwritten signatures.
Bauer explained that like most friendship quilts, stakeholders would agree on what the block would look like from a design standpoint.
“Each block uses the same star pattern that the block maker has the freedom to choose the fabric,†says Bauer.
The quilt has a range of colors and prints, as each block maker chose their own fabric.
“Fabrics, patterns and colors such as turkey red, Prussian blue and the infamous poison green help date the quilts without a date,†says Bauer.
Despite purchasing the quilt about 20 years ago, Bauer continues to learn from it.
“It is an art and a historical relic,†said Bauer. “I love it.”