The Maples and Massey's Barn Quilt is a bold vision to behold on a beautifully greyed bank barn just off of Grey Road 40 near Rocklyn. The Caswell Family have been long time residents of Grey Road 40 where they live a life of passion for their farm and their Massey Ferguson Tractors. Murray and Mary-Lou raised three, now grown, children at the dairy farm around the corner from their Barn Quilt. The Caswell family are avid members of the Rocklyn Agricultural Society with a couple members of the family holding executive positions over the years. Massey Ferguson Tractors have always been a big part of the farming operation on the Caswell Farm, which is why they chose to incorporate it in their Barn Quilt design. Check out the full story below...
The Farm where the Barn Quilt is located is E ½ Lot 27 Con 7 Grey Highlands ( Formerly Euphrasia) and is approx 100 acres. It would be taken from the Crown in the Late 1850’s or 1860’s like other properties in the area. We are not aware of the original or subsequent owners. The 1895 on the barn I believe is when the original main part of the barn would have been built, George and Mable Sewell would purchase the Farm in early 1940’s. They would put the Farm name “Maple Grove” on the barn. The connection of course is to the Maple bush at the back of the farm. This is of course reflected in barn quilt with the maple leaf around the boarder. We have many fond memories of coming to visit Mable with her large quilt in the front room with her working away at it watching what the daily activities where happening on the farm. The farm would be purchased in 1996 by the Caswell Farms (Murray & Kevin) from the Sewell’s. It would be continued to be farmed with livestock and crops. The symbol in the centre of the quilt is of course from a long time tractor brand Massey Ferguson formally Massey – Harris. This connection to the barn quilt goes back to our Dad’s (Wilfred) first tractor which was a Massey- Harris model 30 in 1953. The Massey Ferguson brand has been and continues even today to be the brand of choice at Caswell Farms. Currently the farm is operated by Murray, Kevin and Grant as a part our total farming business. This operation is being farmed by the third generation of the Caswell Family.
Thank you to the Caswell Family for jumping on board so early on in the project, your barn quilt was the first on our trail to be hung in a diamond pattern.