Harvard Historical Society
Quilt
Object/Artifact
Record Quilt dated 1867. Made by Eleanor Bowles Haskell. This is a pieced quilt with cotton top and bottom, and cotton batting. It is hand quilted and assembled with brown and white thread. The binding is machine-sewn on one edge, folded over, then hand sewn on the other edge. The binding is a similar but not identical pink cotton print and may be a replacement. There is also machine stitching in the assembly of the panels of the backing fabric. The quilting stitches are crude. See Notes section of this object record for full report.The design of the main blocks is an eight-point star within diagonal blocks measuring 9.5" x 9 7/8". The stars consist of an octagon of white muslin surrounded by eight brown, leaf-print, fabric points making up the star shape. The rest of each square block consists of pink plaid-print cotton. The diagonal blocks are separated by 1 ¾"-wide strips cut from a wider piece of fabric. The strips have a centerline of floral pattern with a brown hatched stripe on either side. The binding is a pink and red print.The reverse of the quilt is made of four panels of muslin. The muslin may be home spun, as there are density changes and an awkward selvedge. The panels measure 29.5" x 73.5"; 32.5" x 73.5"; 22" x 73.5"; and 82.5" x 24" with the corners cut out. The first three panels are sewn together to make a large square and the fourth panel is sewn to the top edge of the square to complete the quilt shape. The panels are hand sewn together with the exception of one seam in which a selvedge is laid over another edge and machine sewn. This machine stitching has a different thread and gauge than the machine stitching on the binding edge.The diagonal strips are splitting in approximately 1/10 of the quilt, especially along the quilting stitches that run along color lines. There are many old repairs, small losses, dye lot changes, ink, blood, iron, and paint stains. The reverse shows an all over pattern of orange/brown staining, much of it possibly waterborne. Some discoloration breaks at the seams, suggesting it is from latent chemicals and substances on the fabric. The batting is thin at the top edge from use.Fifty of the stars have inked inscriptions (see list of inscriptions). Five of those are only half complete, and may be halves of the same star. Thirteen stars are blank and one block at the bottom center has no star in it.Inscriptions read as follows (refer to diagram for location of numbered blocks):1. ___rod, ___th 1763, ____ndall, ____pr. 1785., ____d 1820
2. Charles___, Born D___, Eleanor___, Born___, D___
3. Wm. B. Willard, Married, Abiah W. Harrod, Feby 3rd 1823, Maria P. Gibson, Dec 3rd 1863, Esther Metcalf Dec 1st 1864
4. Noah Harrod, Born Aug 18th 1790, Married, Iva Sherld (?), Died
5. Louisa Harrod, Born Aug 18th 1790, Married, James Barbour
6. Dr. Samuel Fuller, Born Apr 2 1816, Married, C.P. Barret, June 6 1844, Died Feb 11 1864
7. Dr. Aug. Robbins, Died, in Brooklyn, Sept 13 1855, aged 51
8. Alfred M. Wilder, Born 1804, Married Lydia Babcock, 1835
9. Record Quilt, Made by Eleanor B. Haskell, 1867
10. Eliza Harrod, Born Aug 4th 1795, Married, Reuben T. Robinson
11. Carlton Bateman, Born Janry 17th 1862, Died, Sept 14th 1863
12. Nancy B. Harrod, Born Aug 31st 1804, Married, Robert Willard, 1824
13. Sarah B. Haskell, Born Sept 18th 1796, Married Jerome Gardner, Nov 30th 1814, Died, Feby 18th 1818
14. Levi B. Haskell, Born Nov 4th 1794, Married Eliza Hayden, Nov 29th 1820, Died, Sept 20 1863
15. Julianne B. Haskell, Born Sept 1802, Married, Dr. Aug. Robbins, Sept 1835
16. Sarah Harrod, Born June 19th 1788, Married, Benj. Abrahams, Died, Feb 3rd 183_
17. Noah____, Born____, ____, mar____
18. Mary B. Harrod, Born June 24th 1786, Married, James ___asell
19. Abrah (?) W. (?) Willard, Died, Aug 20th 1862, Aged 59 yrs, &, 11 mos.
20. Susan G (?) Haskell, Died, Nov 20th 1844, Aged 66 yrs, &, 8 mos.
21. Calvin Haskell, Born Dec 28 1791, Married Ann Hersey, Oct 27 1818, Died, June 20 1864
22. Jacob Haskell Jr., Born June 7th 1804, Married, Mary Snow, May 13th 1830
23. Sophia H. Harrod, Born March 31st 1807, Died, Oct 1813
24. Mary Haskell, Born Apr 3rd 1806 (?), Married J. Haskell, Dec 4th 1823, Died, Sept 21 1825
25. Jacob Haskell, Born March 27 1766, Sarah Boynton, Born Nov 23 1768, Married, Janry 18th 1791
26. Jacob Haskell, Died, Nov 26th 1853, Aged 87 years, &, 9 mos.
27. Wm. B. Willard, Born Janry 26th 1802, Abra (?) W. Harrod, Born Sept 28 1802, Married, Feb 3 1823
28. Eliza S. Willard, Born Nov 12th 1843, Died Aug 6th 1863
29. James Harrod, Born Janry 27th 1798, Married, Jane Turner, 1823
30. Noah Harrod, Born may 25th 1763, Eusebia Kendall, Born Oct 31st 1763, Married, April 1785, Died, April 8th 1820
31. Abel Willard, Born Dec 1763, Married, Eleanor Bolles, Died Oct 6th 1840
32. Jacob Haskell, Born Mar 27th 1766, Susan Carlton Wilder, Born April 1st 1778, Married, Nov 28th 1813
33. Josiah W. Haskell, Born July 15th 1818, Married, Sarah S. Haynes, Nov 3rd 1846
34. Frank (?) Silas Haynes, Born Janry 5th 1862 (?), Frankie died, Feb 20th 1866
35. Josiah W. Haskell, &, three sons were drowned, in Perconia Bay L.I., Nov 2nd 1857
36. Charles H. Haskell, Born Dec 13th 1819, Eleanor B. Willard, Born Janry 10th 1824, Married, Janry 22nd 1846
37. Eleanor B. Willard, Born August 1770, Died, Aug 20 1856
38. Julia A. Willard, Born March 18th 1834, Married, John G. Haynes, June 3rd 1858
39. Eusebia Harrod, Born Janry 27th 1798, Married, Jane Turner, 1823
40. Jacob Haskell, Married, Sarah Boynton, Janry 18th 1771, Mrs. Sarah Tucker, 1812, Mrs. Susan C. Wilder, Nov 28th 1818
41. Wm. K. Harrod, Born Dec 29th 1792, Married, Rebecca Staples
42. Luther Willard, Born Nov 10th 1886, Married, Ellen R. Dudley, Janry 9th 1861
43. Louisa H. Willard, Born Feb 17th 1828, Married, Wm. F. Bateman, Feb 15th 1849
44. Wm. B. Haskell, Born Nov 10th 1846, Charles Carlton Haskell, Born Feb 11 1852
45. Eliza Haskell, Born Aug 18th 1799, Married Andrew Gardner, June 28th 1818, Died
46. Charlie Carlton Haskell, Died, Febry 26th 1854, Aged 2 yrs, &, 2 weeks
47. Susanna A. Willard, Born July 6th 1830, Died, April 6th 1832
48. Abel Willard, Born Dec 4th 1841, Married, Ellen M. Davies, Nov 1868
49. Hannah Harrod, Born May 13th 1800, Married, Thomas Barrett
50. ____kell, ____1819, ____llard, ____10th 1824, ____ied, 2nd 1846
![Quilt picture number 1](https://d8e7jbdw4fu0e.cloudfront.net/10813/fefc9c70-ec20-11ed-8421-4ba227be4520-ulEfrXo.lg@2x.jpg)