Quilt
PeriodCirca 1883-1884
Place MadeOcean Grove area, New Jersey, U.S.A.
MediumCotton
Dimensions89 × 87.5 in. (226.1 × 222.3 cm)
ClassificationsQuilts and Coverlets
Credit LineMuseum Collection, 1974
Object numberT1974.109
DescriptionA rectangular quilt in the Orange Peel pattern, of solid red and white cotton, with embroidered red "signature" inscriptions of more than 300 names. The quilt is backed in plain white cotton, sandwiching a thin cotton batting, with a narrow red cotton binding. The quilting stitches are large, in both straight line and shaped outline patterns.Curatorial RemarksQuilt patterns often have multiple names and interesting legends attached to them. In this instance, the Orange Peel pattern was also known as Rob Peter to Pay Paul and Pincushion. The legend often repeated about the Orange Peel quilt is that at the end of the American Revolution, the Marquis de Lafayette peeled oranges during a celebratory banquet. After the feast, a woman collected the peels and used them as inspiration for a quilt. Like all legends, it is impossible to say just how the pattern evolved. Signature quilts of this type can also serve as an interesting source of genealogical research, providing information about individuals within a particular congregations. The quilt's list of 292 names is too long to include in this entry, but all 292 names are available in an alphabetical list in the curatorial files.NotesThis red and white Orange Peel pattern quilt contains 292 signatures of members and supporters of the Ocean Grove Methodist Camp Meeting Association. The quilt was most likely made in 1883 or 1884 as part of fundraising efforts. In that time, the St. Paul Methodist Episcopal Church congregation, founded in 1874 in Ocean Grove, undertook two large building projects. The first, completed in 1883, was the construction of the West Grove Chapel. According to newspaper reports, the frame structure measured thirty by fifty feet, and cost seven hundred dollars. The chapel was "where religous services are held and a large Sunday-school is taught." The congregation's original church was sold to Asbury Park in the early 1880s and in 1884 a new, larger house of worship was begun, with the cornerstone laid on December 2, 1884. Religous congregations often used quilts made by female auxiliary groups to provide funds for needed buildings, repairs, and other projects. Individuals could purchase "signatures" on a particular quilt, with the quilt raffled off to garner more funds. Research into the names reveal a fascinating glimpse of Ocean Grove's year-round community.
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