Tree of Life~Barn Quilt Trail, New Milford, CT

HACIEÑDA POLSKA

The Tree of Life design on this quilt block was chosen by owners Francisco Drohojowski and Saun Ellis for two reasons: it represents Francisco’s connection to Mexico, where he grew up, and incorporating maple leaves, typical of New England, it honors the enormous old, signature maple tree that continues to thrive on the property. The barn on which the quilt block is hung appears on an 1853 map of New Milford and probably dates to the early 19th century. Built with hand-hewn posts and beams, the former barn is part of the extensive farm holdings of the Buckingham and Hunt families. The barn itself was part of a larger complex of barns, one of which still stands to the rear of the main house. This property was continuously farmed for 200 years from the 1750s to the 1950s.

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‍The New Milford Barn Quilt Trail consists of 19 colorful quilt patterns hand-painted on large weather-resistant blocks and hung on antique and vintage barns and historical buildings around our town. It honors our rich agricultural history, the exciting resurgence of family farms in New Milford today and the American tradition of quilt-making. It is the first barn quilt trail established in Connecticut. Already, over 40 U.S. states, including New Hampshire and New York, boast quilt trails in a rapidly expanding movement that began in Ohio in 2001. Get in your car or jump on your bike and use any mobile device to access this site as you visit these barn quilt block sites. Please use caution as you drive, bike or walk along the country roads of the barn quilt trail. Remember that the quilt blocks are displayed on what is often private property and can be viewed only from public roadsides. Responsibility for any accidents while observing the quilt blocks rests entirely with the viewer.

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