Railroad Crossing

Block Number: 11

“Railroad Crossing”
Members of the McDowell Quilt Trail joined local residents as Mike and Jill Lucas carefully mounted the new Old Fort Quilt Block at the Old Fort Depot last Thursday on December 3, 2009. The McDowell Quilt Trail was organized by the McDowell Arts Council Association (MACA) and is part of the Western North Carolina Quilt Trail including Ashe, Avery, Madison, Mitchell, Yancey and Watauga counties. The Old Fort Depot square is one of three quilt blocks approved by the Town of Old Fort for display on town property. Squares are also being designed for the Rockett Building and Old Fort Town Hall for a current total of 5 authorized squares in Downtown Old Fort.
The Depot square represents the railroad crossing symbol with hunter green, black, red, slate blue and yellow colors. The red blocks represent the bricks donated and displayed in the front of the building; it also blends with the red caboose and red roof: Of course, the green blends with the beautiful colors of the Pisgah National Forest surrounding the Town of Old Fort and Depot blending with the blue of our Blue Ridge Mountains high-lighted by the yellow sun illuminating the background. The black squares represent the RR tracks themselves that “criss-cross” the block.
Interpreting local culture through the barn quilt is a great way to preserve our local traditions and heritage. Business owners and local residents may participate in the quilt trail by submitting an application. The committee is happy to help with design ideas or will design a custom square for your site. This is a fun project, but there area, but there are a few rules to follow. All of the information you need is available online.