A barnstar (or barn star, primitive star, or Pennsylvania star) is a painted object or image, often in the shape of a

five-pointed star A five-pointed star (☆), geometrically an equilateral concave decagon, is a common ideogram in modern culture. Comparatively rare in classical heraldry, it was notably introduced for the flag of the United States in the Flag Act of 1777 and si ...

but occasionally in a circular "wagon wheel" style, used to decorate a

barn A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Allen G ...

in some parts of the United States. They have no structural purpose but may be considered lucky, akin to a

horseshoe A horseshoe is a product designed to protect a horse hoof from wear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface (ground side) of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall that is anatomically akin to the human toenail, altho ...

mounted over a doorway. They are especially common in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

and frequently seen in German-American farming communities. They are also found in Canada, particularly in the province of

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

History

Barnstars were meant to represent the mark of the builder but became more frequently used for aesthetic purposes and were added to the building after construction was complete. Enthusiasts have traced a number of wooden barnstars to individual builders in the Pennsylvania area, where numerous examples can still be seen. Barnstars were used in the United States during the 18th century and as late as 1870 in Pennsylvania, where their popularity increased greatly following the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. Their regular use preceded that time, however, and stars were commonplace on large buildings, particularly factories, in pre-war

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

. Barnstars remain a popular form of decoration and design, and modern houses are sometimes decorated with simple, metal, five-pointed stars that the makers describe as "barn-stars". They are often deliberately distressed or rusted, alluding to the traditional decoration.

Other star-shaped plates

On older buildings in the

Pennsylvania Dutch The Pennsylvania Dutch (), also referred to as Pennsylvania Germans, are an ethnic group in Pennsylvania in the United States, Ontario in Canada, and other regions of both nations. They largely originate from the Palatinate (region), Palatina ...

area of the United States, it is still possible to find barnstar-like building adornments that are painted, rather than wooden or metal, known as

hex sign Hex signs are a form of Pennsylvania Dutch folk art, related to Fraktur (Pennsylvania German folk art), fraktur, found in the Fancy Dutch tradition in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Barn paintings, usually in the form of "stars in circles", began to ...

s. Strictly speaking, they are defined apart from barnstars and visually bear only passing resemblance, but the two are often confused and their names are even regarded as interchangeable. Some hex signs incorporate star shapes, while others may take the form of a rosette or contain pictures of birds and other animals. The term barnstar has been applied to star-shaped anchor plates that are used for structural reinforcement, particularly on masonry buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries. These are made of cast iron and are used as anchor plates serving as the

washers Washer most commonly refers to: *Washer (hardware), a thin usually disc-shaped plate with a hole in the middle typically used with a bolt or nut *Washing machine, for cleaning clothes Washer may also refer to: *Dishwasher, a machine for cleani ...

for

tie rod A tie rod or tie bar (also known as a hanger rod if vertical) is a slender structural unit used as a tie and (in most applications) capable of carrying tensile loads only. It is any rod or bar-shaped structural member designed to prevent the separ ...

s. The anchor-rod-and-plate assembly serves to brace the masonry wall against tilting or lateral bowing. File:Strasburg 51 E Main.JPG, House with a barnstar in

Strasburg, Pennsylvania Strasburg is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. It developed as a linear village stretching approximately along the Great Conestoga Road, later known as the Strasburg Road.Susan M. Zacher, NRHP Nomination Form Stra ...

File:Strasburg E Main 109.JPG, House with star anchor plates File:Barnstar anchor plate.jpg, "Barnstar" anchor plate

Internet "barnstars"

Some

Wiki A wiki ( ) is a form of hypertext publication on the internet which is collaboratively edited and managed by its audience directly through a web browser. A typical wiki contains multiple pages that can either be edited by the public or l ...

-based communities give their users an award called a "barnstar" as a continuation of the "barn raising" metaphor. The practice originated on MeatballWiki and was adopted by Wikipedia in 2003.
Author's copy
/ref> The image that is frequently used for this purpose is actually a photo of one of the structural anchor plates, not of a proper barnstar.

References

External links

*{{wiktionary-inline, barnstar Visual motifs Architectural elements Building materials Fasteners Luck Lucky symbols Pennsylvania Dutch culture Star symbols

History

Other star-shaped plates

Internet "barnstars"

See also

References

External links