Elsie Bennett’s face brightens when she explains the stories behind the vibrant barn quilts hanging beside locally handmade birdhouses, pottery and soaps in her roadside shop in Mount Ulla – West Rowan Farm, Home & Garden Inc. People are intrigued by the barn quilts, says Bennett. They’re more than beautiful colors and patterns – there’s a story behind each one. Find this article in the March 2021 issue of Our State Magazine.

Joel Honorate lugs a three-foot square cardboard box through the front door of South Main Cycles in Belmont and scans the shop for the manager. The worn wood floors are uneven, and sprinkles of old coal dust still drift down from the rafters sometimes.

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