Leaving Nashville, Tennessee, early in the morning, we start our drive across Eastern Tennessee to Little Rock, Arkansas. Research into what we should stop to see reveals few places that would be worthy of a visit. It is only when we reach a rest area to stretch our legs that we come across a brochure — Benton Country Quilt Blocks Trail map. It is just off our route. This is one of those serendipitous moments that you hope you will have on this sort of trip. “What is a quilt block?”  I hear you ask. Simply put it is a 4 foot by 4-foot piece of wood painted with a quilt design used to decorate the outside of a barn or house or even a commercial establishment.

We are curious about the origin of this art form. A bit of research reveals that, originally, the art form came to America with the Pennsylvania Dutch; however, other sources indicate that some of the symbols, such as the circular geometric patterns which are used (including by the Pennsylvania Dutch), are far older in origin. Some say that they date back 6,000 years and were then adopted by the Greeks and Romans. Be that as it may, the practice of painting a square of wood with a design and affixing it to a barn is very much an American art form. Unlike their cloth counterparts which may consist of a repetitive design, the barn quilt is almost always a single design. Like cloth quilts, which have their own symbolism and language, barn quilts can also convey a particular thought or idea.

We exit I-40 and begin a treasure hunt to find the barn quilts, listed on the brochure by geographic coordinates and address. We simply plug the information into the navigation system and set off into rural Tennessee on our quest. The trail takes us around the edge of Kentucky Lake, created in the mid-1940s by the construction of the Kentucky Dam on the Tennessee River. In the process, we come across wildlife, small churches and magnificent trees standing in water.

According to the information provided on the brochure, the Benton Quilt Trail was only begun in the spring of 2010 but has caught on like wildfire; today there are over 122 quilt blocks across the county. Given our time constraints, we limit ourselves to finding a few squares. Two or our favorites belong to Tucker and Debra Daniel. One, entitled, “Fall Flight” is a green, white and brown geometric design with a goose in the middle. The goose represents the family pet as well as a flock of Canadian geese that like to hang out on the nearby pond. The second is entitled “Odd Fellow Chain” attached to a mini barn that houses the family’s two miniature horse, mule sand small donkeys. It is a star pattern in red, yellow and blue.

Benton County is but one place where you can find Quilt blocks. There are more than 43 states where the art form has become an attraction. Look for them as you drive through the countryside.

This serendipitous event just goes to prove to us that we can’t script a journey based on what is outlined in guidebooks. We have to leave some time for exploration and discovery. Who knows what you will find?

IF YOU GO
To reach the Benton County Quilt Trail, exit I-40 at exit 126 North (Camden) and wend your way through the country. To download a map of all the quilt block locations, go to the Benton Country Quilt Trail on Facebook. It can also be obtained from the Benton County/Camden Chamber of Commerce (266 Hwy 641 North, Camden, TN; Tel 731-584-8395). 

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