Bonham Mayor Roy Floyd has proclaimed May as Historic Preservation Month to help promote awareness of historic preservation and celebrate the history of Fannin County.  May is also National Preservation Month established by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Bonham is celebrating Historic Preservation Month 2010 with a “Quilt Hop” on Saturday, May 8.  The Creative Arts Center, the Fannin County Historical Commission and Fannin County Museum of History, and the Sam Rayburn House Museum will be hosting quilt exhibits from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. 

This prairie rose pattern quilt will be on display at the Sam Rayburn House Museum.

The Bonham Tourism Association Visitor Center will host presentations by quilt experts and shuttle rides will be available between all locations throughout the day. All activities and exhibits are free and Quilt Hop participants can enter a drawing for prizes by having their ‘patchwork cards’ punched at every location.

The presentations held at the Bonham Visitor Center will include “Quilts: A Social History” by quilt historian Lynn Deal, Site Manager of the Sam Bell Maxey House in Paris, TX. at 10:30 and at 1:00 p.m.  Preservationist Robin Gilliam, Site Manager of the Eisenhower Birthplace in Denison, TX will present “Quilt Care” at 10:30 and at 1:30.  Barbara White will present “Historic Texas Quilts with a Story” at 11:00 and 2:00 including a showing of quilts from the Winedale Center for the Quilt, University of Texas at Austin.

The Sam Rayburn House Museum’s exhibit “Threads in Time: Quilts of the Sam Rayburn Family” opens on May 8 with tours of the home that showcase the exhibit quilts in use. The Fannin County Civic Band will provide entertainment from 11:00 a.m. until noon and children’s quilting activities will take place throughout the day.  

The textile exhibit, “Quilts, Aprons, Bonnets and More” will be on display at the Creative Arts Center. They will host an exhibit opening reception Friday, May 7 at 6:00 p.m. The Fannin County Historical Commission and the Museum of History displays will include quilts made by Fannin County residents from the mid nineteenth century to the present.   

For more information contact:

Bonham Visitor Center

327 N. Main St.

Bonham, TX 75418

903-583-9830

www.visitbonham.com