By Jessica Kenley

COUDERSPORT, Pa. — On a balmy June 13th Saturday afternoon, some quilters and about 175 quilt admirers joined together to experience Stitched Stories: A Quilt Show, put on largely by Teri McDowell, Coudersport’s own Library Director, to benefit the Library as a fundraiser.

This show of stunning beauty, talent, and storytelling was held in the sanctuary of the First Presbyterian Church on North Main St., as 84 quilts were draped dramatically, intimately, lovingly, over every pew, and many more were gently laid on tables for enthusiasts to gaze at, covering all available surfaces. This area of worship was transformed into a gallery of color, craftsmanship, history, and memory, for all who entered to enjoy.

For one day, 84 quilts draped gracefully over church pews, covered display tables, and filled the historic space with stories stitched into fabric by generations of makers. Every quilt had a history. Every pattern carried meaning. Every stitch represented hours—often hundreds of hours—of labor, patience, and love.

The event was organized by Coudersport Public Library Director Teri McDowell, who has been working on the project ever since February. Months of planning culminated in a show that attracted quilters, history enthusiasts, library supporters, and community members from throughout the region.

“It all came together so beautifully,” said one attendee while admiring the displays.

The show was much more than a quilt exhibition. It was a celebration of storytelling itself.

A Library Born from Needles and Thread

Appropriately, the fundraiser honored a remarkable fact about the Coudersport Public Library: it owes its very existence to women, needles, and thread.

According to historical information shared during the event, the library traces its beginnings to 1848, making it one of the oldest public libraries in the United States.

After an anonymously written article promoting the value of books appeared in the Potter County Journal, a group of local women organized a sewing circle to raise money for a circulating library. Sarah Mann, Mary Williams Mann, Mary Ann Ross Jones, Amanda McDougall, Sabra French, Alice Brown, and Ellen Wright pooled their efforts, sewing items to sell and using the proceeds to purchase books.

Within six months, they had acquired 50 volumes.

On May 5, 1850, eleven individuals attended the organizational meeting that officially established the library, and Alice Brown became the first librarian.

Those humble beginnings laid the foundation for an institution that has served generations of Potter County residents for 176 years.

The library’s history is also intertwined with social justice. One of its early librarians, Mary Mann, and her husband, state legislator John Mann, were known abolitionists who reportedly sheltered Black people escaping slavery. Historical accounts indicate that fugitive slaves were hidden in a concealed room in the building where the library collection was once housed before continuing north along the Underground Railroad.

Today, the library continues to serve as a center for education, literacy, and community connection.

Stories Sewn Into Fabric

The quilt show’s theme grew from the realization that every quilt tells a story.

Visitors could read the histories accompanying each piece, learning about family memories, travels, personal passions, and treasured relationships.

One quilt, Radiant Star by Annette Ackley of Coudersport, was inspired by a dream shared between generations.

“My mom, who is deceased, always wanted to make a star quilt,” Ackley wrote. Her mother created the quilt, while Ackley completed the hand quilting and her mother finished the binding.

Another entry, My Sisters’ Quilt by Gloria Richardson, began in the 1970s using scraps from dresses sewn by Richardson and her sisters. The quilt eventually required reconstruction after years of use. One memorable chapter in its story involved a hunter who unknowingly pulled the unfinished quilt over himself during a cold night, only to discover it was still filled with straight pins.

Even then, according to Richardson’s account, he was simply grateful for the warmth.

Mary Boardman’s Untitled Quilt chronicled an RV adventure through Montana, cattle drives, quilting shops, and Yellowstone National Park. The quilt was assembled while traveling, and quilted by a local Montana artisan who created an elaborate custom design featuring cabbage roses and vines.

Among the most admired entries was Jane, as a Teenager by Anya Tyson of Wellsboro, inspired by the legendary Civil War-era quilt created by Jane Stickle of Vermont.

Tyson’s vibrant interpretation has appeared in quilt shows throughout the United States and has earned multiple viewer’s choice awards.

Other notable quilts included Baltimore Beauty by Connie Callerson, Joyful Noise by Brenda Falk, Birds and Butterflies by Paula Cowburn, and a Beatles-themed quilt by Alice Falk featuring decades’ worth of collected Beatles T-shirts transformed into textile art.

Honoring a Quilt Legend

The exhibit also paid tribute to what many consider the most famous quilt in the world: the Jane Stickle Quilt, created in Vermont during the Civil War in 1863.

Now housed at the Bennington Museum, the original quilt contains 169 individual blocks and an astonishing 5,602 pieces of fabric. Some pieces measure only a quarter-inch across.

The quilt’s complexity and mathematical precision continue to amaze historians and quilters alike.

Organizers noted that learning about Jane Stickle’s masterpiece inspired the concept behind Stitched Stories. The realization that every quilt contains a story—just as every community contains countless stories waiting to be told—became the foundation of the event.

Community Collaboration

The show also highlighted an America250 collaboration between the Oswayo Valley Senior Center and Oswayo Valley High School.

Earlier this year, seniors learned quilting techniques and worked alongside experienced quilters to create quilts that will ultimately be presented to veterans.

Displayed projects included Red, White, and Blue by Rachel Rathbun, Log Cabin by Mia Shaffer, Star Bright by Soi Sang Nyghue, Red, White, and Blue Crosswalk by Jaden Wallace and Chloe Packer, and Woods and Wildlife by Kaylynn George.

The intergenerational project demonstrated how quilting continues to connect people across age groups and backgrounds.

Judging the Work of Masters

Selecting winners proved no easy task.

Judges Miriam Cornish, Carol Szmanick, and Janice Darrah spent approximately five hours carefully examining every entry.

Each quilt was evaluated stitch by stitch, with judges considering craftsmanship, design, technique, and overall presentation.

Visitors later cast votes for a People’s Choice Award while enjoying raffle baskets, a silent auction, and a light lunch offered by donation.

Volunteer docents wearing white gloves assisted attendees who wished to examine the quilts more closely while helping preserve the delicate fabrics.

A Familiar Face Returns Home

Among the visitors was former Coudersport Public Library librarian Nancy Trimbur, who traveled from Delaware to attend the event.

For nearly a decade, Trimbur served as one of the library’s most recognizable and beloved faces. Countless local children remember gathering during Story Hour to listen as she brought books to life through reading and storytelling.

Her return was made possible in part through the generosity of Stephen Green, owner and president of the Eliot Ness Museum. After learning that Trimbur planned to visit, Green arranged complimentary accommodations for her in one of the museum’s upstairs suites.

The gesture reflected the same spirit of community support that was evident throughout the quilt show.

Preserving a Community Treasure

Beyond celebrating quilting, the fundraiser served an important purpose.

The Coudersport Public Library remains one of the community’s most treasured institutions, but maintaining the aging building presents ongoing challenges. Like many small-town libraries, funding is often limited, making community support essential.

Events such as Stitched Stories help sustain library programs and services while also raising awareness of future needs, including the Library Board’s long-term vision of a modern library facility that can continue serving future generations.

For many attendees, the event underscored the similarities between quilting and libraries.

Both preserve stories.

Both connect generations.

Both are built piece by piece through dedication and care.

Just as hundreds of fabric pieces come together to create a quilt, countless individual stories come together to form the fabric of a community.

On Saturday in Coudersport, those stories were on full display.

And thanks to the efforts of Teri McDowell, a handful of volunteers, generous sponsors, talented quilters, and supporters of the library, they will continue to be shared for years to come.

Here are the quilt show winners:

Category 1: Bed-Sized, Hand-Quilted: 

First place: 

Connie Kallerson, “Baltimore Beauty” 

Second place: 

Janet Thierfelder, Untitled 

Third place: 

Annette Ackley, “Grandma’s Scrap Basket”

Category 2: Bed-Sized, Machine-Quilted: 

First place:

Jacklyn Hazen, Patriotic Sampler 

Second place: Anya Tyson, “Jane as a Teenager”

Third place, Paula Cowburn, Christmas Four-Patch Posey

Category 5: Baby Quilts/Lap Quilts/Wall Hangings/Table Runners: 

First place: 

Jacklyn Hazen, “Gardens of a King”

Second place:

Jacklyn Hazen, “Woodland Flowers”

Third place: 

Marie Russell, Untitled (Bugs in a Jar). 

Best of Show: 

Connie Kallerson, “Baltimore Beauty”.

People’s Choice: 

Jacklyn Hazen, “Baltimore Halloween”.

Raffle winners were: 

Jody Landis, Betty Wallace, Judy Gunzburger, Dominique Switzer, Alice Falk, Kay Heffner, Miriam Cornish, Marie Russell, Becky Krellner, Lori Stickles and Kelly Kauffman. 

Some of these individuals won multiple baskets.