The quilt portrays the history of the Rittenhouse library, and how it eventually came to settle in the heart of Vineland. Moses F. Rittenhouse established the library initially in the Rittenhouse school, which was then located at Vineland Station. The quilt illustrates how the library evolved from the school, then over to First Avenue, and ultimately at Victoria Avenue where the library has been housed for the past 10 years.

Library staff boast about the Rittenhouse heritage quilt with pride, but Ms. Bothen corrects the staff in regards to the quilt's status. "This is not a heritage quilt yet, but we hope that one day it will be. If the quilt hangs here for 50 or more years we can proudly say we have a heritage quilt," Ms. Bothen said. "This quilt is an example of a pictorial quilt," she corrected.

The quilt tells a history span of 100 years of library service, which was built on the generosity of a local good Samaritan. The bright colours woven into the quilt reflect the agricultural community and the tradition behind the quilt's story.

"We used the saw-tooth patchwork to border the quilt. This was a convention of Victorian Period quilt making," Ms. Bothen said. "We thought it was appropriate since Mr. Rittenhouse lived during the Victorian era."

The quilt, which took six months to create, was crafted predominately by females. Quilt making has typically been an art demonstrated mostly by women. It derives from women's chores to keep the family clean, fed, and warm.

Characteristically farmhouse women took cloth scraps from old clothes and bedding to assemble their quilts. "The early farm women who constructed the quilts never signed their names or dated the quilts," Ms. Bothen said. "The women were poor, and more often than not, they lacked schooling".

Heritage quilts presently are collector's items and cherished by communities. They are being recognized as a piece of her-story. Unlike history, which has largely been written by men, her-story unfolds the life of women and their families. The stories are told through pictures which are carefully constructed on the quilts.

The Moses F. Rittenhouse pictorial quilt tells us about the history of the library, a generous man, and Town. It's not a heritage quilt yet, but with the efforts and patience of the community, Ms. Bothen is certain that one day, it will be.

* * *

Communities in Bloom is a non-profit Canadian organization committed to fostering civic pride, environmental responsibility and beautification through community participation and the challenge of a friendly competition. The Town of Lincoln is participating in the program for the first time. Bernice Booth is the coordinator of the program at the town.