This “Carolina Lily” quilt was handcrafted by Pernicia Dodds Cook or her daughter-in-law Ophelia Lamb Cook sometime between 1870 and 1880. V.Y. Cook, son of Pernicia and husband of Ophelia, was a prominent merchant and planter in northeast Arkansas who established the town of Olyphant then later moved to Batesville. The Cook-Morrow home, built in Batesville in 1909, still stands today at 875 East Main Street and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Carolina Lily pattern was popular during the mid-19th century. The leaves are pieced and the stems appliqued. Traditional colors include red, pink or yellow flowers with green foliage. The museum houses a second quilt by Pernicia Dodds Cook from 1860 which features a Rose of Sharon pattern and uses the same blue-green material as the Carolina Lily quilt.
An artistic rendering of this quilt, created by Professor Dustyn Bork and Lyon College art students, has been added to the exterior of Old Independence Regional Museum as part of the new Independence County Quilt Trail. You can see more Arkansas quilts by visiting www.ArkansasQuiltTrails.com.
