Civil War Room

The Women Who Stayed Behind: Stories of Civil War Quilts and Their Makers

The wives, mothers, and daughters watched their men leave to fight while they stayed at home to carry on daily life. They also sewed for the army, cared for the wounded, and protected their property and family. Surviving Civil War quilts made in Virginia are very rare and unusual. The Civil War era quilts in this exhibit are part of the permanent collection of the VQM.

This exhibit features quilts, portraits and memorabilia related to women who lived during the Civil War era.  The women featured include Eliza Crim, Mollie Zerkel, Lucinda Robinson Rice, Jenny Warren, Julie Anne Faulkner, Malinda Jane Flint, Ester Matthews, and Elizabeth Armstrong.   Here is a sampling of what visitors will see:

Julie Ann Faulkner's sons served in the Confederate Army while she and her husband operated a business in the city of Winchester, VA. Her "Crossed Laurel Leaves" quilt exhibits exquisite applique and quilting skills.

Malinda Flint lost her husband in the war and raised three children on her own. Visitors are touched by her story and the fate of her husband. Malinda's "Evening Star" and "Crossed Canoes" quilts are on display.

Also, discover the story of Lucinda Robinson Rice who lived near the site of the Battle of New Market and wrote about it from the viewpoint of a young mother and wife of a local doctor. Quilts made by Lucinda, dating from the 1840s to the 1880s, are on display, including her first quilt made at age 5.