Dolly Madison's Star

About this block

This block honors Dolley Madison, wife of President James Madison and one of the most beloved figures to serve as First Lady, credited with helping shape the informal social role of that position in the country's early years. She's remembered in particular for staying at the White House during the War of 1812 to ensure valuables, including a portrait of George Washington, were safely evacuated before British troops arrived. The block itself is a nine-patch star built from quarter-square triangles surrounding a pieced center, cataloged by Barbara Brackman as pattern #2241, and documented under this name by quilt historian Ruth Finley in 1929.