Weathervane Wednesday ~ The Symbol of a Living History Museum

I post another in a series of weather vane photographs every Wednesday.  This started with images of weathervanes from the Londonderry, New Hampshire area, but now I've found interesting weather vanes all across New England and across the globe.  Sometimes my weather vanes are whimsical, or historical, but all are interesting.  Often my readers tip me off to some very unique or unusual weathervanes, too!  If you know a great weather vane near you, let me know if you'd like to have it featured on this blog.

Today's weather vane was photographed in Massachusetts.

Do you know the location of weathervane post #354?  Scroll down to find the answer.

This grasshopper weathervane was photographed inside the visitor center gallery at the Old Sturbridge Village museum in Sturbridge, Massachusetts.  According to a sign next to the weathervane "The grasshopper has been the symbol of Old Sturbridge Village for many years, signifying being 'sprung from the soil' and in a broad sense 'native'... the museum's founders and early staff felt that the grasshopper was indeed an appropriate symbol for the institution."

This old weathervane on display inside dates from about 1830 by an unknown maker.  It is a beautiful copper three dimensional weathervane.  A copy of this weathervane was made up in two dimensions and now sits on the roof of the Oliver Wright Tavern.  This tavern is the first building you pass by upon entering the museum, on your way to the visitor center and ticket counter.  From far away it looks like the old weathervane, but as you can see in the close up photograph, it isn't really nearly as nice.

The most famous grasshopper weathervane in New England is the one above Faneuil Hall in Boston, Massachusetts originally created by Shem Drowne.  You can read more about that weathervane at this link:
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/06/weathervane-wednesday-genealogical.html

P.S. Shem Drown is my first cousin 8 generations removed. 

Old Sturbridge Village website -   https://www.osv.org/  

Click here to see the entire collection of Weathervane Wednesday posts!

-------------------------------

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Weathervane Wednesday ~ The Symbol of a Living History Museum", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 14, 2018, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/03/weathervane-wednesday-symbol-of-living.html : accessed [access date]). 

Weathervane Wednesday ~ Behind the Tavern

I post another in a series of weather vane photographs every Wednesday.  This started with images of weathervanes from the Londonderry, New Hampshire area, but now I've found interesting weather vanes all across New England and across the globe.  Sometimes my weather vanes are whimsical, or historical, but all are interesting.  Often my readers tip me off to some very unique or unusual weathervanes, too!  If you know a great weather vane near you, let me know if you'd like to have it featured on this blog.

Today's weather vane was photographed in Massachusetts.

Do you know the location of weathervane post #343?  Scroll down to find the answer.

This simple black arrow weathervane is affixed to the chimney of an outbuilding behind the Bullard Tavern on the village common of Old Sturbridge Village, a living history museum and re-created village in Sturbridge, Massachusetts.  This weathervane is difficult to see because it is behind the tavern.  It is best viewed from the garden of the Salem Towne House.

This tavern was not moved here from another location, but it was built in 1947 as a restaurant.  Upstairs recreates a tavern with a barroom, and downstairs is now a cafeteria and restrooms. It is one of the few reproduction buildings at Old Sturbridge Village.  

Old Sturbridge Village website:  www.osv.org     

Click here to see the entire collection of Weathervane Wednesday posts!

-------------------------------

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Weathervane Wednesday ~ Behind the Tavern", Nutfield Genealogy, posted December 27, 2017, (https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/12/weathervane-wednesday-behind-tavern.html: accessed [access date]). 

Weathervane Wednesday ~ Above a Meetinghouse

I post another in a series of weather vane photographs every Wednesday.  This started with images of weathervanes from the Londonderry, New Hampshire area, but now I've found interesting weather vanes all across New England and across the globe.  Sometimes my weather vanes are whimsical, or historical, but all are interesting.  Often my readers tip me off to some very unique or unusual weathervanes, too!  If you know a great weather vane near you, let me know if you'd like to have it featured on this blog.

Today's weather vane was photographed in Massachusetts

Do you know the location of weathervane post #342?  Scroll down to find the answer.

This gilded, swallow tailed arrow weathervane can be seen on the steeple above the "Center Meetinghouse" at Old Sturbridge Village museum in Sturbridge, Massachusetts.  This building was originally the Baptist Church built in 1832 in Sturbridge.  It was moved to the living history museum in 1947.  The interior was restored to look like the original interior in the 1830s. 

The Old Sturbridge Village website:   www.osv.org    

Click here to see the entire collection of Weathervane Wednesday posts!

-------------------------------

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Weathervane Wednesday ~  Above a Meetinghouse", Nutfield Genealogy, posted December 20, 2017, (https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/12/weathervane-wednesday-above-meetinghouse.html: accessed [access date]). 

A Visit to Sturbridge Village

I recently visited Old Sturbridge Village with my Mayflower cousins from the New Hampshire Mayflower Society.  We took a nice field trip to this living history museum in June.  I hadn't been there since the 1990s when I chaperoned my daughter's fourth grade field trip to Old Sturbridge Village.  This museum re-creates life in rural New England in the 1830s. We had a wonderful visit, and hope to return again soon with our granddaughter.

Re-enactors weeding the herb gardens

Inside the General Store.  In the 1830s the store
carried mostly handmade items, just before the Industrial Revolution

Springtime on a New England farm

Preparing the mid-day meal for the farm family. 

The millpond and covered bridge

A rural home with a well sweep

Vincent and the two-holer

The village tavern, where we ate lunch

Inside the tavern

Pastures, farm houses and the path through the wood to the village center

A workbench in the cooper's workshop

The potter busy at his wheel

The village kiln for firing pottery

The village green

Old Sturbridge Village website   https://www.osv.org/ 

-----------------------------------

Heather Wilkinson Rojo, " A Visit to Sturbridge Village", Nutfield Genealogy, posted September 8, 2017, (https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/09/a-visit-to-sturbridge-village.html: accessed [access date]).