20:
153:, European churches displayed roosters, symbols of vigilance, from their bell towers. By the seventeenth century, English settlers had brought the tradition to America. In the United States, weathervanes first decorated public buildings but soon appeared across the countryside. Farmers would mount a representation of a cow, pig, or rooster on top of their barns to symbolize their trade, while horse breeders might cap their stables with a finely crafted racehorse.
124:, for example, might hang a large gun outside his shop, while a dentist might exhibit a tooth. Inn and tavern keepers tended to favor flat, wooden signs that hung at a right angle to the building. These two-dimensional advertisements frequently combined a representational painting with the proprietor's name, and each side often displayed a different design.
90:
chambers; applied paneling and plaster finishes that approximated those found in New
England in the late 18th century; and fashioned replacement window casings and chair rails with antique carpenter's planes. Finally, they reconstructed the broad porch that had originally wrapped around the building's exterior to re-create the inn's early appearance.
219:
is a type of four-wheeled coach used for passengers and goods. They were strongly sprung and drawn by four horses. Stagecoaches were widely used before the introduction of railway transport and made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers.
127:
Although a few craftsmen made their own signs, many turned to professional carvers and sign painters. During the nineteenth century most major cities supported dozens of woodcarvers and sign painters. In 1881, Samuel Robb of New York advertised his firm's services thus: "Manufacturing of show figures
119:
During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, trade signs advertised the variety of goods and services that craftspeople, merchants, and inn and tavern keepers offered. Many early craftspeople promoted their wares with oversized, three-dimensional metal or wooden representations of the objects they
89:
When the
Shelburne Museum dismantled and reassembled the Stagecoach Inn on the grounds in 1949, it needed restoration. Museum contractors removed the dividing walls in the second-story ballroom, returning it to its former dimensions; they rebuilt ten fireplaces, two brick ovens, and two ham-smoking
171:
In the second half of the nineteenth century, manufacturers began to sell commercially produced, copper weathervanes. Makers of these vanes would hammer copper sheeting into cast-iron molds copied from carved-wood patterns. Using a mold enabled manufacturers to reproduce each design many times.
103:
Shelburne Museum's collection of over 175 trade signs represents dozens of different trades using a variety of forms, such as oversized locksmith's keys, optometrist's eyeglasses and skate-maker's skates, as well as an enormous cobbler's boot, a haberdasher's hat, a clockmaker's watch, and an
198:, which are closely related to weathervanes, most commonly represent a standing figure with paddled arms that flail in the wind. Some clever craftspeople built more complex whirligigs powered by a wind-catching wheel. One of Shelburne's finest represents a woman seated at a
164:, in about 1850, is a fine example of such hand-carved figures. Other handcrafted weathervanes include a Native American archer, a streamlined goose in flight, and a wooden rooster that originally stood on a barn in
144:
includes finely crafted vanes as well as commercially produced examples. The tradition of surmounting buildings with weathervanes extends to antiquity when, as early as 100 BCE, a vane crowned the
Athenian
77:, the Stagecoach Inn, which town residents referred to as the Tavern Stand, possesses regularly spaced windows and two central, side-lit doors that are distinctive elements of the vernacular
561:
345:
176:
weathervane. Many of the commercial weathervanes depict common barnyard animals, including roosters, horses, pigs, and cows. Others represent less familiar forms such as a
556:
132:
signs in great variety, on hand and made to any design. Ship and steamboat carvings, eagles, scroll heads, block letters, shoe, dentist, and druggist signs, etc."
235:
served the traveling coach passengers. They stabled the teams of stagecoach horses, provided overnight loading, and served food and drink for weary travelers.
475:
294:
202:; doubling as a trade-sign, when the wind turned the spinning wheel, the woman's foot would move up and down on the treadle as if she were spinning yarn.
188:. One of the largest known commercial weathervanes is a highly detailed fire-pumper pulled by a pair of horses, which originally topped a firehouse in
425:
338:
116:-era song "Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines", Thomas White, Robb's partner of many years, created the caricature as a tobacconist figure.
331:
435:
420:
445:
525:
500:
430:
109:
470:
551:
189:
173:
440:
221:
505:
465:
395:
375:
172:
Shelburne's collection includes finished copper vanes, cast-iron molds, and a unique wooden pattern for a
165:
161:
520:
410:
405:
276:
74:
55:
105:
19:
460:
385:
380:
146:
113:
51:
35:
108:'s firm produced several of the museum's finest figures, including a caricature of Robb in his
450:
415:
354:
31:
400:
370:
47:
480:
390:
281:
Hill, Ralph Nading, and Lilian Baker
Carlisle. The Story of the Shelburne Museum. 1955.
232:
220:
Shelburne Museum has examples of stagecoaches in their coach and wagon collection. See
199:
58:, Barnes had moved with his family to Charlotte in 1780 and established the inn and a
545:
495:
455:
78:
530:
515:
510:
59:
485:
365:
150:
141:
129:
67:
216:
323:
309:
296:
195:
121:
63:
177:
157:
181:
185:
18:
156:
Early weathervanes were often handmade, and the museum's wooden
327:
62:on opposite sides of the main stage route from
562:Relocated buildings and structures in Vermont
339:
8:
286:Shelburne Museum: A Guide to the Collections
266:Shelburne Museum: A Guide to the Collections
253:Shelburne Museum: A Guide to the Collections
476:Shelburne Railroad Station and Freight Shed
346:
332:
324:
557:Folk art museums and galleries in Vermont
224:for more information on this collection.
426:Electra Havemeyer Webb Memorial Building
244:
16:Exhibit building in Shelburne, Vermont.
140:Shelburne Museum's collection of 130
7:
288:. Shelburne: Shelburne Museum, Inc.
268:. Shelburne: Shelburne Museum, Inc.
255:. Shelburne: Shelburne Museum, Inc.
81:popular in the eighteenth century.
54:, in 1783. A former captain in the
30:is an exhibit building located at
14:
436:Hat and Fragrance Textile Gallery
160:, carved by Warren Gould Roby of
112:uniform. Inspired by the popular
128:and lettered signs a specialty.
1:
501:Stone Cottage and Smokehouse
50:built the Stagecoach Inn in
136:Weathervanes and whirligigs
578:
355:Shelburne Museum buildings
361:
310:44.3773139°N 73.2297944°W
190:Manchester, New Hampshire
441:Horseshoe Barn and Annex
284:Shelburne Museum. 1993.
264:Shelburne Museum. 1993.
251:Shelburne Museum. 1993.
222:Horseshoe Barn and Annex
506:Ticonderoga (steamboat)
466:Rail Locomotive No. 220
396:Charlotte Meeting House
376:Beach Lodge and Gallery
315:44.3773139; -73.2297944
104:innkeeper's pineapple.
166:Bedford, Massachusetts
162:Wayland, Massachusetts
99:Trade and tavern signs
23:
521:Vergennes Schoolhouse
461:Rail Car "Grand Isle"
406:Colchester Reef Light
56:United States Militia
22:
120:made or repaired. A
106:Samuel Anderson Robb
381:Ben Lane Print Shop
306: /
147:Tower of the Winds
52:Charlotte, Vermont
36:Shelburne, Vermont
24:
539:
538:
451:Pleissner Gallery
149:. Throughout the
569:
552:Shelburne Museum
348:
341:
334:
325:
321:
320:
318:
317:
316:
311:
307:
304:
303:
302:
299:
269:
262:
256:
249:
32:Shelburne Museum
577:
576:
572:
571:
570:
568:
567:
566:
542:
541:
540:
535:
401:Circus Building
386:Blacksmith Shop
371:Apothecary Shop
357:
352:
314:
312:
308:
305:
300:
297:
295:
293:
292:
273:
272:
263:
259:
250:
246:
241:
233:Stagecoach inns
230:
228:Stagecoach inns
213:
208:
184:pigeon, and an
151:Medieval period
138:
101:
96:
87:
48:Hezekiah Barnes
44:
17:
12:
11:
5:
575:
573:
565:
564:
559:
554:
544:
543:
537:
536:
534:
533:
528:
523:
518:
513:
508:
503:
498:
493:
491:Stagecoach Inn
488:
483:
481:Settlers House
478:
473:
468:
463:
458:
453:
448:
443:
438:
433:
428:
423:
418:
413:
411:Covered Bridge
408:
403:
398:
393:
391:Castleton Jail
388:
383:
378:
373:
368:
362:
359:
358:
353:
351:
350:
343:
336:
328:
290:
289:
282:
279:
277:Stagecoach Inn
271:
270:
257:
243:
242:
240:
237:
229:
226:
212:
209:
207:
204:
200:spinning wheel
137:
134:
110:National Guard
100:
97:
95:
92:
86:
83:
46:Major General
43:
40:
28:Stagecoach Inn
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
574:
563:
560:
558:
555:
553:
550:
549:
547:
532:
529:
527:
526:Vermont House
524:
522:
519:
517:
514:
512:
509:
507:
504:
502:
499:
497:
496:Stencil House
494:
492:
489:
487:
484:
482:
479:
477:
474:
472:
469:
467:
464:
462:
459:
457:
456:Prentis House
454:
452:
449:
447:
444:
442:
439:
437:
434:
432:
431:General Store
429:
427:
424:
422:
419:
417:
414:
412:
409:
407:
404:
402:
399:
397:
394:
392:
389:
387:
384:
382:
379:
377:
374:
372:
369:
367:
364:
363:
360:
356:
349:
344:
342:
337:
335:
330:
329:
326:
322:
319:
301:73°13′47.26″W
298:44°22′38.33″N
287:
283:
280:
278:
275:
274:
267:
261:
258:
254:
248:
245:
238:
236:
234:
227:
225:
223:
218:
210:
205:
203:
201:
197:
193:
191:
187:
183:
179:
175:
169:
167:
163:
159:
154:
152:
148:
143:
135:
133:
131:
125:
123:
117:
115:
111:
107:
98:
93:
91:
84:
82:
80:
79:Federal style
76:
75:Georgian plan
71:
69:
65:
61:
57:
53:
49:
41:
39:
37:
33:
29:
21:
531:Webb Gallery
516:Variety Unit
490:
446:Kalkin House
421:Dutton House
416:Dorset House
291:
285:
265:
260:
252:
247:
231:
214:
211:Stagecoaches
194:
174:Lady Liberty
170:
155:
142:weathervanes
139:
126:
118:
102:
88:
72:
66:to southern
60:trading post
45:
27:
25:
486:Shaker Shed
366:1950s House
313: /
130:Tobacconist
73:Built on a
68:New England
546:Categories
471:Round Barn
239:References
217:stagecoach
196:Whirligigs
94:Collection
85:Relocation
114:Civil War
511:Toy Shop
122:gunsmith
64:Montreal
178:centaur
158:mermaid
42:History
182:pouter
206:Other
186:anvil
180:, a
26:The
70:.
34:in
548::
215:A
192:.
168:.
38:.
347:e
340:t
333:v
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
