Crocuses and daffodils popping up all over the southeast serve as a cheerful reminder that spring is just around the corner. The longer days of sunshine and warmer temperatures always inspire us to get outside and explore something new. This year, we're looking forward to enjoying an urban outdoor adventure along the Haywood County Quilt Trail.

“Quilts represent a much-loved symbol of comfort, family, heritage, and community, and the blocks on the trail provide splashes of color along major roads and in the rural countryside. The Haywood County Quilt Trails (HCQT) project aims to engage the community by providing yet another reason to explore Haywood County and enjoy the surrounding beauty. Vibrant quilt patterns are painted on pre-built wooden squares ranging from two feet to eight feet in size. Cultural and heritage lovers inside and outside the county will experience the fun of locating blocks along the trails and learning the wonderful stories behind site locations and the quilt patterns represented on the blocks.” [Excerpt from Haywood County Quilt Trails]

The Waynesville Mast Store is honored to be a part of the City Streets quilt pattern of the HCQT. Next time you visit the store, you’ll notice two quilt squares inside the porch area on the shoe side of the building. One is representative of an American flag called Red, White, & Blue and the other colorful quilt is named the Star of North Carolina.

In 2004, the Downtown Waynesville Association (DWA) received a $5,000 legacy gift from the estate of Waynesville resident Edward C. “Ned” Hildreth. For years, Ned Hildreth and Paul Germann shared daily walks through downtown. This tradition gave rise to a very befitting walking memorial to feature the Arts Council’s Haywood County Quilt Trails project blocks on multiple buildings within the downtown district.

In financial partnership with downtown property and business owners, DWA utilized legacy funds to reach their goal of twenty-five block installations throughout the district.  The first block of the Hildreth Memorial Walking Quilt Trail reflects Ned’s personality and interests – his love and appreciation of handmade quilts and his shared walks in the downtown district.

To date, there are 43 quilt patterns adorning barns, homes, and buildings throughout Haywood County. If you choose to explore the Trail outside of the City Streets area in Downtown Waynesville, please remember to be careful and cautious when driving the Quilt Trail. The HCQT site advises: “The trail is located on public county roads and appropriate safety measures should be taken when stopping. Most sites are located on private property. Please view the sites from the public road except where indicated by invitation only.”

The "City Streets" pattern along the Haywood County Quilt Trail is sure to resonate with residents and visitors alike as they explore Downtown Waynesville in search of these colorful blocks. We're looking forward to a sunny spring afternoon when we can explore the HCQT for ourselves and we hope to see you along the way. To design your personalized Quilt Trail journey and map out the location of individual quilt blocks, take a peek here.