Cheryl Irwin Driscall holds a photo of her mother Anna Dubois Irwin, who created the king size quilt, showing all 50 states. The quilt will be on display in the Greene Memorial Library in celebration of the United States 250th anniversary. (Photo by Kelli Miller)

GREENE - In honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States, the Moore Memorial Library and the Post Office in Greene are offering historical displays and a pictorial postmark to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence, 250 years ago.

President of the Greene Historical Society Nancy Bromley and Oxford and Greene Historian Vicky House collaborated to provide a variety local information from the county archives to support the celebration.

Greene resident Cheryl Irwin Driscall also contributed by donating her mother's embroidered quilt to be placed on display at the library.

Bromley said the library will have a timeline on display through the years 1792 through 1812, a hand embroidered quilt by Driscall's mother, Anna Dubois Irwin, and a display case filled with historical pieces including those from the Jeffersonian.

"In addition, beginning today, July 1, the Greene Post Office is offering a pictorial postmark of Greene's namesake, Nathanial Greene," said Bromley.

"Four different commemorative envelopes will be offered at the window for $2 each, or you can bring your own," she said. "The pictorial postmark is very important and popular amongst collectors."

Stamp collectors will love the pictorial postmarks and noted the stamp is new, so this pictorial postmark is a special event Bromley explained.

"Some people that collect stamps from all over the world will be sending in their packages to the post office to get them stamped," said House.

"There will be an additional 29 days for stamps but once it's over, the stamp will be marred, never to be used again and will go in the next time capsule and buried," she added.

House continued, explaining the celebration in the Moore Memorial Library, where she created a timeline to show how it all started in Greene.

The timeline will reflect a breakdown of 20 years from1792 to 1812 and said some years will have more panels than others. 

She said panels will include Stephen Ketchum, who settled in Greene and built his cabin in 1792, the War of 1812, the First Church, built in 1795, the First Bridge across the Chenango River, built in 1807, Greene village and the history behind its first name Hornby, later to be named after General Nathaniel Greene in 1842.

Additional panels will include Joseph Juliand, the French settler who built his house on the knoll outside of Greene, the Wattles Tavern, which became the Sherwood, the  L.A. NAJARIAN, INC Ribbon Mill, once a thriving mill, and one of only two in the United States.

"Najarian made ribbons for hats around the world including Stetson and other big companies," she said. "He also made the webbing for the bombs during the war and soldiers backpacks and ribbons for Godiva Chocolates, Buster Brown Shoes, and Fed Ex."

Bromley said the showcase near the library check-out counter holds cup plates, otherwise known as Pairpoints, ornaments, miniature embroidered patriots from the Monticello Shop, the Declaration of Independence and more.

She also pointed to the hand embroidered quilt that tells a tale of the 50 states. Each panel shows the state shape, capitol, flower and bird. The individual quilt pieces were laid out in the order they became states.

Bromley said when they first hung the quilt, visitors to the library were in amazement, not just by the large size, but the details of every state.

Driscall said her mom was very patriotic and loved America with all of her heart. She worked on the quilt from 1976 and finished in 1998, taking 22 years for completion and in time for the bicentennial.

"She worked relentlessly on it everywhere, even during travels across the country and didn't ever use a hoop, she just did the individual squares by hand and in order," she said.

"My mother was very clever and always did hand work, always," said Driscall. "So, I would see her with these in different places and times, and it represents how hard my mom worked."

"She took great pride in what she did," she added.

Driscall said the king size quilt fills almost eight feet of the display bar adding, "The green floral pattern bordering the quilt was chosen because mother loved the color green."

"My mother always had a bolster pillow, so she made this for her bed, and the green part where there aren't any states is where she would tuck the quilt under her pillow. She didn't want to disturb the pattern," Driscall explained.

The Moore Memorial Library is located at 59 Genesee Street in Greene, New York and open Monday to Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and closed on Sunday.

The Greene Post Office is located at 11 Canal Street and open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a lunch break from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Closed on Sunday.