Home to an American Treasure
A significant era in American history is captured in bright fabrics and intricate patterns in the bed coverings now housed in Bedford's National Museum of the American Coverlet. The westward migration of settlers in the 18th and 19th centuries, from the Atlantic Ocean into the heartland of the nation, was accompanied by the growth in popularity of bed coverings - coverlets - that were not only useful for warmth and protection, but beautiful works of art, sentimental connections to families left behind.
For Lasol and Melinda Zongor the creation of the National Museum of the American Coverlet is the realization of a dream and the culmination of many years of dedication to the preservation of this uniquely American craft and heritage.
"Coverlets were found in 15 states," explains Laslo "We have some from every one of them. However, Pennsylvania was the most prolific state. A Bedford Coverlet is quite rare."
According to the Zongors, the beginning of the Civil War marks the end of the coverlet generation in America. "You find fewer and fewer pieces as you move west. Coverlets were used as gifts, especially for celebrations of important family events like the birth of a child."