Locally Crafted Quilt Protects Easton Flag

The Easton Flag, proudly displayed and carried by the town’s
militia, is a 200 year old symbol of freedom and patriotism. And now, thanks to
the generosity and talents of five local women, who created a hand crafted
quilt to cover it, the aged fabric of the Flag is protected from light damage.

The Easton Library Company was entrusted with the Flag in
1821. In 1926 it was removed from its pole, placed between two pieces of plate
glass, and framed for exhibition. The Flag was first displayed on the east wall
of the marble stairway in the front entrance to the Carnegie building and
eventually moved to the Marx Room.

In 2011, we realized the Flag was showing the stress of
hanging and commissioned the building of a display case. The new case was
designed and fabricated by R. S. Hahn and Sons of Easton, who then donated the
case to the Library.

To prevent discoloration, fading, or damage to the fabric, the case was temporarily covered with a quilt. Our original idea was to have a cover made of heavy drapery fabric, but then a patron – a frequent user of the Marx Room - suggested a quilt that duplicated the pattern of the Flag.

Marsha Kleedorfer, owner of At Piece Quiltery in Palmer Township, oversaw the project and donated all of the fabrics to construct the project. Volunteers Ginny Hope and Elaine Wargo stitched the quilt top, carefully copying the flag design and replicating the thirteen individual shapes of the hand cut stars in the Flag.
Connie DeNardo and Lynn Lentz used 145 yards of thread to hand quilt the
design. The Friends of the Library paid the costs associated with the quilting.

Our one of a kind Easton Flag is now protected top and bottom, securely housed and shielded from light. The Flag is displayed in the Main Library in the Marx Local History Room Monday through Friday 10:00 am to noon and 1:00 to 4:00 pm and Saturday 9:00 am to noon and 1:00 to 5:00 pm. Stop in and admire our old Flag and new quilt.