Shadow Star

Block Number: 10

By Nora Worthen

An overcast and dreary day found Mike Lucas, along with several other members of the McDowell Quilt Trail committee, installing the "Shadow Star" quilt block on the southern exterior wall of Marion Credit Co.

There is nothing dreary about this block. Approaching Marion from the southern end of Main Street, you notice first the smaller geometric star in shades of gold and burgundy, then you notice the shadow star, which seems to pop out in three-dimension from the dark green background. The entire block is framed in black, and some say has the illusion of spinning, as you get closer. It is a must see.

Jed Rankin, owner of Marion Credit Company, became interested in obtaining a quilt block after talking to committee members manning the McDowell Quilt Trail booth at the Mountain Glory Festival.

He confessed to “carrying around quilt block books for two or three weeks – or a month” while trying to decide which block to choose, and received plenty of help from his wife, Susan, and employees in making that choice.

This soon became a company project with employees bringing more books for Jed to study. He decided on the Shadow Star because he likes the geometric shapes and angles playing off each other.

When asked why he chose those particular colors, he said, “I just like them.”
You will find "Shadow Star" on the southern-facing wall at 216 South Main Street in Marion, NC. This more than 100-year-old house was built by the Jim Neal family back around the 1890s, and has been home to various businesses over the years. Since 1986 it has been the offices of Marion Credit Co., Inc