Located about 70 miles north of the Calais, Maine and St. Stephen, New Brunswick border crossing, Kings Landing Historical Settlement vibrantly re-creates rural life in 19th century New Brunswick.  (Take Route 3 out of St. Stephen; this will merge with the Trans-Canada Highway in Prince William.  Then take Exit 253 for Kings Landing.)

During the summer season the elements of this outdoor museum work together to present the transition from the 1780s to 1910.  Kings Landing presents life in the central St. John River Valley from the Loyalist period to the late Victorians. The landscape and buildings reflect the relationship between people and their natural environment. The buildings and artifacts are displayed as they should be, in direct relationship with the people of our past: each building has been restored to a specific date, and its artifacts are seen in context.

Kings Landing is a place where over 100 years of New Brunswick’s history and culture comes to life. This is the 19th century. It is a place where you can touch, taste, hear, see and truly experience the 1800s. It is more than just history, it’s history well told.

A "visiting neighbor" working on a crazy quilt patch.  This woman (in costume) is one of many who work diligently to accurately interpret a most important part of 19th century life―making quilts.  Below is just a sampling of the quilts at King's Landing.  There you can learn about the frugal farm wives who saved fabric scraps and the well-to-do Victorians who worked with rich silks and velvets to make their quilts.

If you're lucky enough to visit the settlement on Wednesdays,  the women will be gathered at the Joslin Farm for a quilting bee.  Years ago this was a perfect opportunity to swap quilting patterns and fabric scraps.  When you visit Kings Landing, take a seat at the quilting frame and add a few stitches of your own. 


Double Nine-Patch ready for a "quilting"


Birds in the Air


Crazy Quilt


The "lady of the house" and a new Pineapple quilt


Pinwheel



Sawtooth Quilt


Variable Star


Sister's Choice

 

For more on the history of quilts, also visit:

Lowell National Historical Park:  the history of America's Industrial Revolution is commemorated in Lowell, Massachusetts. The Boott Cotton Mills Museum with its operating weave room of 88 power looms, "mill girl" boardinghouses, the Suffolk Mill Turbine Exhibit and guided tours tell the story of the transition from farm to factory, chronicle immigrant and labor history and trace industrial technology. The park includes textile mills, worker housing, 5.6 miles of canals, and 19th-century commercial buildings.

New England Quilt Museum:  located in historic downtown Lowell, Massachusetts.  Master craftsman Josiah Peabody built the Lowell Institute for Savings building in 1845 in the classic Greek Revival Style. The structure boasts an unusual rhomboidal footprint, with curved corners and an ornate wrought-iron balcony along two sides. Today the 18,000 square foot space holds exhibition galleries, a library and resource center, classrooms, a museum store, and more. 

Old Sturbridge Village:  Another historic settlement located in Sturbridge, Massachusetts.  Step out of your world and into ours.  Explore early New England in the company of farmers, craftsmen, and fascinating characters.  Celebrate yesterday's proud traditions on your remarkable journey into America's past.