Boone County Historical Society asks commissioners to rehang bicentennial quilt in courthouse rotunda

Representatives of the Boone County Historical Society asked commissioners April 6 to rehang the county’s bicentennial quilt in the courthouse rotunda and to allow occasional lowered, up‑close viewing during the U.S. 250th anniversary celebration.

Peggy Daggy, speaking for the Historical Society with Jane (the society’s president) in attendance, gave a short history: the quilt was created in 1976 by about 2,500 residents, took thousands of hours to complete, features township outlines and local iconography, and includes a medallion and hundreds of names signed by community members at the time. The quilt hung in the courthouse for 41 years before it was taken down for renovation; the society said the artifact shows some water discoloration from a past leak but remains an important community heritage item.

The society’s request asked the county to: - Rehang the bicentennial quilt in the courthouse rotunda; - Allow the quilt to be lowered for close public viewing during the U.S. 250th anniversary celebration and permit some nontraditional hours so workers can view it; and - Allow a private event to honor the stitchers and contributors.

County staff (Max) said accommodating nontraditional hours and coordinating security is feasible and that staff would work with the society on scheduling. Commissioners moved and approved the request during the meeting.

"I'd like to make a motion to get the quilt back where it belongs," one commissioner said; the motion carried by voice vote.

Background and significance: the quilt was reported in the meeting as a community project completed in April 1976, with an estimated 40,000 hours of work and broad participation from residents and businesses. Rehanging the artifact is framed by the Historical Society as a public‑history and heritage preservation action in time for national 250th anniversary observances.