McDowell Quilt Trail

Later in the afternoon of the same day, the committee journeyed south to the little community of Brackett Town to hang the Grist Mill block chosen by Richard and Nora Worthen, which hangs on Richard’s wood shop near their home.  The block was selected in memory of Nora’s paternal grandfather, John J. Sprouse, who owned and operated the Sprouse Grist Mill that at one time was located about a quarter of a mile south of the wood shop and home.  

Nora recounted the story to those family members and neighbors who gathered, about how in 1885 John J. Sprouse moved here from Buckingham County, Virginia to join the gold rush in Brackett Town as a prospector.  When the gold mining played out some years later, he bought the James B. Upton property, which he farmed, while building and operating a water-powered gristmill, a sawmill, a shingle mill and a cane mill.  The mill operations lasted until 1945, however, the farm is still in operation as an Angus and hay farm operated by Earl B. Sprouse, Nora’s brother. 

The gristmill block is made up of a circle containing four melon-shaped pieces in a combination of colors to represent millstones.  Inside this circle of millstones is a concave star divided into colors of white, gold, and burnt orange.  Framing the millstones are colors of gold, green, burnt orange, and black.  Upon installing the quilt blocks, Jill Lucas presented Nora and Richard with a Certificate of Authenticity showing their Grist Mill block is number 21 on the quilt trail.