Still in the planning stages at the time of Agincourt’s sesquicentennial, the quilt celebrating its 150th anniversary will be displayed for the first time in the exhibit during September-October this year. I can’t show you any images of it but it is safe to say the square is its driving force.
The plan of Agincourt’s original townsite is a square one mile on each side, typical of the jeffersonian grid that dominates our conception of the landscape throughout the Midwest and Great Plains. It doesn’t work so well where the topography is lumpy or where natural features—rivers, lakes, fjords—interrupt the general horizontality of the place we call home. The townsite was derived from familiar mid-19th century models (and earlier) such as Philadelphia or Madison. Philly isn’t the best example, perhaps, because its “squareness” is often misperceived.
Our quilt is about eighty inches square and includes enough of the historic core to be immediately recognizable. We hope you enjoy it. I include a different quilt here to whet the appetite.
