The
History of the Weathervane
From
Warrior Crest to Rooftop Americana
Weathervanes:
A Pilgrim and early Americana art form that recalls a time
of war and change. What was once a sign of warrior skill,
blood-shed and conquest, now quietly adorns stately, country
homes. These symbols of courage are now considered high-art,
for sale to the highest bidder and coveted by curators, collectors
and antique dealers worldwide.
A
Warrior’s Boast
Medieval
England was fond of flags, banners and pennants. Proud nobles
embroidered their banners with their family crests. Every
armored knight rode to war carrying a fane (pennant)
marked with his own coat of arms or that of the lord to whom
he was in service.
The knight
who could outlast all others and was victorious in his quest
was granted royal permission to place his fane on the besieged
castle or town hall of the conquered village. The flying
of the fane was a memorable and impressive token –
a proud symbol of an undefeated warrior.
The knight’s
fane was crafted with a hand-made swivel which allowed the
fane to wave freely in the breeze. Other warriors would occasionally
glance at the gleaming fane, ascertaining the direction of
wind and ensuring their arrows a true and accurate landing.
Over time, the flying of the fane took on more meaning. As
more new buildings were erected in Britain, a fane would be
placed on the top of the new edifice as a “crowning”
touch. Typically, these fanes would be inscribed with the
date the building was completed or with some subtle decoration.
From
Englishmen to Americans
When English
settlers came to the New World, they brought the tradition
of flying the fane with them. Something familiar from home,
it also signified safety and protection in a land of unknown
dangers.
The first
weathervane mounted in colonial America was placed by English
settlers in Concord, Massachusetts in 1673. The vane was designed
to honor the completion of the town’s new meetinghouse.
Handcrafted and forged of iron, the vane is still intact.
At 15” wide, some riveting holes and areas of worn decoration
can still be seen. The durability and craftsmanship of vanes
from the Colonial era have helped many to survive.
 As
the English settlements spread further, craftsmen started
taking new inspiration from their surroundings and broadened
their vane subjects to include Indians, arrows, seagulls,
fish, snakes and ships. In the mid 1700s, one craftsman in
particular was considered the finest vane maker in New England.
Shem Drowne, a Maine metalworker, became famous for his vane
designs and expertise in all forms of metal art.
Two
of the best known Drowne vanes still survive. The "Indian
Chief with Arrow," circa 1716, is now in the care of
the Massachusetts Historical Society, still swinging from
its original pivot. The "Grasshopper," (pictured
here) which Drowne crafted and personally installed in 1742
on the rooftop of the infamous Faneuil Hall of Boston, witnessed
both the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party.
Over a
century later, the great-grandsons of the men who mounted
this country’s first weathervane would also fire the
first shot against their king – the shot that would
make them Englishmen no longer. Under proud vanes of their
own creation, they waged war with the most powerful country
in the world and won. From repression to independence, from
commoners to statesmen, and from Englishmen to Americans,
the weathervane truly was a “forecaster” of the
winds of change.
Copyright
2006 www.OutdoorDecor.com
Kay
Stone, OutdoorDecor.com Staff Writer
Research
was found in the following sources:
Kaye,
Myrna. “Yankee Weathervanes.” New York,
1975, pp. 1-12.
Goss,
Elbridge H. “Shem Drowne and His Handiwork.”
Cornell University Library, Boston, April 1885, pp.
1-570.
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