Collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access will require additional advanced notice. Unless noted, digital media are not available online. Copies of unrestricted digital files will be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request. Access will be provided to use copies of unrestricted digital files rather than carrier media, such as CDs, DVDs, and floppy disks. Some or all electronic files may be unavailable or restricted due to privacy reasons, agreement with the donor, software is not available to interact with files, or because files cannot be retrieved from original media.
The Walter E. Preston Quilt of Burlington Mills Fabric was made from discarded fabric pieces from Burlington Mills. Walter Elias Preston worked for Burlington Mills as a machinist and brought the fabric scraps home, and they were then sewn into a quilt top.
Walter Elias Preston (1900-1976) worked for Burlington Mills as a mechanist from approximately 1936 to 1945, with his employment documented in the 1943 Hill's Burlington Directory. According to Preston family history, Walter Preston brought home fabric pieces found on the mill floor to be used for this quilt top.
J. Spencer Love founded Burlington Mills in Burlington, North Carolina in 1923, beginning with almost 200 employees. In the 1930s, Burlington Mills was the largest producer of rayon fabric in the United States. During WWII, the company employed more women as men entered the military, and Burlington opened its first overseas mills. In the 1960s, Burlington opened a merchandising headquarters in New York City, and in the next decade, it opened a new corporate office in Greensboro. Burlington Labs opened in the 2000s, and after restructuring in the 1990s and 2000s, Burlington Industries, Inc. continues to operate today with factories in North Carolina, South Carolina, and China.
Ninety discraded fabric pieces with different patterns and colors form this quilt top. There are 36 different decorative patterned fabrics, including upholstery weight woven fabrics sich as jacquard, damask, and brocade. The pieces are each eight inches wide and range from three to ten inches tall. The creator sewed the pieces together and added a decorative hand stitching on top.
The NC State University Libraries generally claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Libraries staff are unable to advise on copyright and other legal matters; the user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Helpful resources for assessing copyright include Cornell Libraries’ “Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain” and copyright.gov. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information about identifiable living individuals, which may be protected under federal or state laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that there may be legal ramifications for disclosing this information.
The University Archives operates in accordance with the State Public Records Act, with unrestricted access to records not covered by state and federal statutes and regulations.
[Identification of item], Walter E. Preston Quilt of Burlington Mills Fabrics, MC 00809, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Gift of Patricia Stewart, 2026 August (Accession 2026.0109)
Processed by: Ella Mayfield, 2026 September.
Collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access will require additional advanced notice. Unless noted, digital media are not available online. Copies of unrestricted digital files will be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request. Access will be provided to use copies of unrestricted digital files rather than carrier media, such as CDs, DVDs, and floppy disks. Some or all electronic files may be unavailable or restricted due to privacy reasons, agreement with the donor, software is not available to interact with files, or because files cannot be retrieved from original media.
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[Identification of item], Walter E. Preston Quilt of Burlington Mills Fabrics, MC 00809, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
The NC State University Libraries generally claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Libraries staff are unable to advise on copyright and other legal matters; the user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Helpful resources for assessing copyright include Cornell Libraries’ “Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain” and copyright.gov. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information about identifiable living individuals, which may be protected under federal or state laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that there may be legal ramifications for disclosing this information.
The University Archives operates in accordance with the State Public Records Act, with unrestricted access to records not covered by state and federal statutes and regulations.