a (barn) star is born

As it goes, curiousity kills the cat, and in this case the cat's name is Jeremy. He just couldn't let an old, rusty, red antique star hang above our fireplace without knowing where it came from and why the heck there were so many to chose from in Lucketts, VA where it was purchased.

It's a Barn Star. German farmers would often mount a large star-shaped decoration onto their barns. Its significance varied. Some farmers considered the stars good luck, like a horseshoe hung above a doorway; while others viewed it as simply aesthetic and pleasing to the eye. Many barn stars, unique in their appearance, represented the trademark of the builder who constructed the barn.

The tradition of the barn star in America can be traced back to the 1700’s, and to at least the 1870’s in Pennsylvania. Barn stars were most popular after the Civil War.

The present-day Barn Star, now popular on (or in our case in) homes of every size and shape, has come to mean an outward sign of good luck and good fortune! Not that we believe in luck, but the history part is pretty cool.