Take-A-Stitch in the Quilt Honoring People Enslaved at Belle Grove
Learn about memorial quilts that will honor the 270 individuals enslaved at Belle Grove from the 1780s to the 1860s. Community members stitched the name and birthdate of each person on fabric. Textile artist Carole Gary Staples of Ohio arranged the blocks into family trees and surrounded each family with African batik fabrics. Local quilt expert Pam Pampe assembled the quilt and prepared it for hand quilting. Now, the community is invited to participate. All materials and instructions will be provided, and no prior quilting experience is necessary.
More future events are being organized for the community to see the quilt and take a stitch, so let us know you are interested, and we will stay in touch!
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MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT
In 2022 the exhibition Unearthing Enslaved Lives, about the archaeological investigation of the enslaved quarter site at Belle Grove opened. The curators sought input for how to include a memorial to the 270 individuals enslaved at Belle Grove. The idea of creating quilts displaying their names was suggested. The purpose was to remember these individuals, pay tribute to their lives, and share their stories with viewers. It was decided that the names of the enslaved people should be stitched onto quilt squares. The quilt blocks are arranged by family groups, whenever possible.
The quilt project was officially launched on August 4, 2022, during a special event at the Godfrey Miller Center, hosted by Belle Grove in partnership with the Winchester Chapter of the EGA (WEGA). Over the next year, community members, guided by the WEGA, embroidered the names and birth dates of 270 individuals enslaved at Belle Grove between the 1780s and the 1860s onto individual fabric squares. 
African American textile artist Carole Gary Staples of Ohio was commissioned to design and piece the quilt. She arranged the squares into family trees, surrounded by vibrant African batik fabrics, symbolizing cultural heritage. Carole determined that, to allow space to arrange the intricately stitched names by families, two quilts should be made. The top of the first quilt has already been completed. Local quilt expert Pam Pampe assembled the quilt, preparing it for the final stage: hand quilting.
Once completed, the two quilts will be permanently displayed in the Belle Grove Manor House. They will serve as a lasting tribute to the enslaved individuals whose names are intricately stitched into the fabric—a powerful reminder of their lives and legacies.
