Here are two quilts that were created by children to celebrate the anniversaries of the 1891 incorporation of Hopewell Borough – one for the Centennial in 1991 and the other for the 125th Anniversary in 2016.
We would particularly like to know more about the 1991 Centennial Quilt, done by the Hopewell Public Library.
Also see the Hopewell U. S. Bicentennial Quilt, created in 1976 and preserved at the Hopewell Museum.
It contains 42 squares showing important Hopewell events and scenes, buildings and businesses, and traditions and events.
Hopewell Public Library Centennial Quilt (1991)
The Hopewell Public Library Hopewell Centennial Quilt was created in 1991 for the Centennial of the incorporation of Hopewell Borough in 1891.
The quilt is labelled “Hopewell Public Library / Children’s Room / June 1991,” and also has two squares with “Hopewell Centennial” and “1891-1991.”
The quilt has a total of 30 squares, presumably prepared by children at the Library, with some recognizable Hopewell scenes (some with labels and a few with dates), including:
- Row 1 – Elementary School, Gazebo Park, Post Office, St. Alphonsus
- Row 2 – Sledding at Highland Cemetery, Train Station, Mini-Park Playground
- Row 3 – Church, Old School Baptist Church, Library (with phone booth), Library
- Row 4 – J. B. Hill hardware, Pizza, John Hart Memorial, Town Christmas Tree
- Row 5 – Hopewell Fire Department, Hopewell Fire Department, Hopewell Village Market
We do not have more information on this quilt. Can you help?
** Does anyone have more background on the creation of this quilt?
** Does anyone recognize more of the scenes on these squares?
** Does anyone know the people who ran this project and the children who created these squares?
Hopewell 125th Anniversary Quilt (2016)
The Hopewell 125th Anniversary Quilt from 2016 is on display at Borough Hall. It has a community of houses, created by children from the five Hopewell Borough churches: Calvary Baptist, Second Calvary Baptist, Hopewell United Methodist, St. Alphonsus, and Hopewell Presbyterian.
The designer, Cindy Friedman, made five different house outline designs that the children then chose to fill in with their own ideas. Each of the final 70 squares were then surrounded by a fabric frame and stitched together in rows. The final quilting of the three layers – top, quilting, and backing – was done by Diana Leslie.
This was part of the Christmas House Tour and Quilt Show that was held in December 2016, with six homes on the tour, plus a collection of antique and new quilts on display at three churches – Hopewell Presbyterian, Hopewell United Methodist and Calvary Baptist.
The 125th Anniversary of Hopewell Borough 2016 Facebook page is still online, and provided some of the photos shown here.
== See Local Historic Quilts in the Image Gallery ==
== See Hopewell 125th materials from 2016 in the Image Gallery ==
We would welcome more information about historic community quilts around the Hopewell Valley.
More on Historic Hopewell Valley Quilts
Historic quilts from the Hopewell Valley, celebrating events including the U. S. Bicentennial and anniversaries of the founding of local towns.
Posts
- Pennington Bicentennial Quilts
- Hopewell Borough Centennial (1991) and 125th Anniversary (2016) Quilts
- Hopewell Bicentennial Quilt (1976)
Documents
- Pamphlets Collection: Information on local quilts
Images
- Image Gallery: Local Historic Quilts
