Barn Star Art Tour

A classic arrangement of eight-pointed stars with central pinwheels stands above painted arches and a scalloped forebay edge on the 1855 Sharadin barn at the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University. The Sharadin barn is the only barn on the tour located on public property. The stars were repainted by Eric Claypoole in 2001, and again in 2015 by Patrick Donmoyer and Andrew Shirk.

A modernized barn with metal siding, featuring four elaborate stars designed by the barn star artist Milton J. Hill (1887-1972) of Virginville, and painted on commercial signboard by Eric Claypoole in 2015.

A series of classic eight-pointed stars with large central pinwheels, the most common design in Berks County, featuring a radiating border common to the area immediately surrounding Kutztown. Located in Maxatawny Township and painted by Eric Claypoole and Patrick Donmoyer in 2011.

An unusual arrangement of star patterns on a barn in Richmond Township, painted by Eric Claypoole in 2001. Two central star burst patterns inspired by the artist Milton Hill feature a border of interlaced arcs in shades of blue and are flanked on either side by two eight pointed stars. A series of semi-circular half-stars adorn the arches above the second-story barn doors. This barn was the first to be painted with support from grant funding through the Kutztown University Foundation’s Barn Star Restoration Fund, established as a cooperative project of the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center, the Hex Tour Association, and the Kutztown Folk Festival.

The Stutzman barn at Pasture’s Pride Farm features a series of simple stars in blue and yellow with solid white borders that can be seen through the trees in Greenwich Township.

Old Dreibelbis Farm, Outside Virginville, Greenwich Township, featuring Milton Hill Star patterns painted in 2015 by Eric Claypoole of Lenhartsville, and Andrew Shirk of Hamburg.

A series of three offset eight-pointed stars flanking arched barn doors and overlooking a stone barnyard enclosure in Richmond Township. The stars were last painted by Johnny Claypoole (1921-2004) of Lenhartsville sometime in the 1980s.

Two star bursts with scalloped borders in shades of blue inspired by the artist Milton J. Hill of Virginville (1887-1972), located on the old stable at the old Ontelaunee Hotel by the Maiden Creek in Perry Township.

The first of three farms owned by the Adam Family, bearing the artistry of three local artists. The cattle murals on the main barn were painted by John L. Hill (1911-1963) and the large stars on the shed were originally painted by his father Milton J. Hill (1887-1972). The barn was repainted sometime in the 1960s when Harry L. Adam of Edenburg (1915-2005) likely added the eight pointed stars.

The second of three farms owned by the Adam Family along the Virginville Road, bearing eight-pointed stars, along with cattle murals by John L. Hill (1911-1963) of Virginville.

A series of unusual stars in green and white along the Virginville Road. These barn stars are likely simpler repaintings of more detailed stars that were originally painted by Milton J. Hill (1887-1972) of Virginville. The stars show evidence of significant weathering, revealing details that were not included in the most recent painting.

Five starburst patterns featured on the barn at the former Christman Farms. Although it is unknown who painted these particular stars, the design is likely inspired by the distinctive work of Milton J. Hill (1887-1972) of nearby Virginville, whose work pioneered the use of similar starburst patterns in the immediate area in Perry Township.

A series of basic eight-pointed starburst patterns punctuated by red circles adorns the barn of Leiby farm in Perry Township.

Two eight-pointed stars with central pinwheels, featuring hearts between each of the star points. These stars were painted in 2002 by Eric Claypoole based on original weathering on the circa 1820 barn in near Moselem Springs, Richmond Township, but the hearts were a modern addition.

Four eight-pointed stars in pale green and yellow adorn this mid-19th century frame barn near Moselem Springs in Richmond Township.

Two eight pointed stars on a very small barn located outside of Virginville in Richmond Township. This stars may have been painted by Johnny Claypoole (1921-2004) of Lenhartsville, sometime in the 1980s.

A white frame barn in Richmond Township just outside of Virginville, featuring a unique combination of six-pointed rosettes and an eight-pointed star in red and green. Between the star points are hearts and rosettes. Although most barns in the region were painted red, one is also a popular color.

Sunday Farm, Perry Township near Virginville. Measuring seven feet in diameter, these Hill Stars were originally painted by celebrated barn star painter Milton J. Hill (1887-1972) sometime in the 1940s. The stars were repainted by Johnny Claypoole (1921-2004) sometime in the late 1980s, and most recently again in 2010 by Eric Claypoole of Lenhartsville. The original designs are deeply weathered into the surface of the siding along with Milton Hill’s original scribe lines, providing a pronounced template for repainting the stars.

The old Dreibelbis Station Bridge spanning the Maiden Creek and located in Windsor & Greenwich townships, was built in 1869, and rehabilitated in 2020. The Hill Star on commercial sign board was painted by Eric Claypoole in 2020 and formally recognized in the rededication of the bridge. Eric’s Father, Johnny Claypoole (1921-2004) had previously been commissioned to provide a barn stars that hung on either side of the bridge for many years.

A floral star painted in June of 1952 by Johnny Ott (1890-1964), proprietor of the Lenhartsville Hotel and self-proclaimed “Professor of Hexology.” Ott was originally a painter of tinware who pioneered the modern commercial hex sign as a new contemporary art form among the Pennsylvania Dutch. Ott never painted on barns, but his origins as a painter of tinware lends a more fluid, free-form approach to his art that was simply not possible for barn star painters whose works were produced on rough wooden exterior barn siding. Ott is credited with not only launching the first commercial hex signs, but also the first to assign new codified meanings to each of his designs, firmly establishing tourist expectations of the art form. Ott’s work can be seen on the walls of The Deitsch Eck restaurant at the corner of Old Route 22 and Route 143 in Lenhartsville located along the Barn Star Art Tour.

Four stars on the extended forebay of the Kistler-Snyder barn in Greenwich Township. The stars were painted in 2014 by Eric Claypoole, Joanna Blessing, and Patrick Donmoyer, and were modeled on the earliest water color paintings by the barn star artist Milton Hill’s produced in 1899 in the Virginville one room school. The original paintings are in the museum collection of the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center, Kutztown University.

Barn at the Old Ida Bond Hotel, Albany Township. These stars were last painted in 1973-1974 by Johnny Claypoole (1921-2004) of Lenhartsville, and his sons Neal and Eric Claypoole. This barn is a classic mid-19th century barn, featuring arches over the doors, and four twelve-pointed stars across the barn’s forebay siding, along with a star on each gable end. This barn is one of three of the longest barns in the township, all built for members of the Greenawalt family in the mid-19th century.

Hawk Valley Farm, located at the foot of Hawk Mountain, is another former Greenawalt family farm featuring one of the longest barns in the township . Four classic eight-pointed stars are accompanied by an elaborate arrangement of arched doorways, pinwheel patterns above the central windows, six lightning rods, and a twelve-pointed star on each gable. The barn stars were repainted by Eric Claypoole, Andrew Shirk, and Johanna Blessing in 2015.

A series of newly painted six-pointed rosettes at Robertson’s Restorations in Albany Township. The stars were painted by Eric Claypoole, Andrew Shirk, and Patrick Donmoyer in 2024.

A unique eight-pointed rosette in blue and black, with a braided border on a white barn in Albany Township. Painted by Eric Claypoole in 2014.

A blue and black eight-pointed star on a yellow background with a braided border, Albany Township. Painted by Eric Claypoole, Andrew Shirk, and Sarah Edris in 2021.

Two twelve-pointed stars on the forebay side of the frame barn at the Country Seat, a basketry supply store in Albany Township. Painted by Eric Claypoole in 2001.

Two large six-pointed rosettes in blue, flanking a small, central eight-pointed star and a pair of sliding doors with decorative painted trim. Located in Albany Township, and repainted by Eric Claypoole in 2008.

Two distinctive twelve-pointed stars at the Albany Farm in Albany Township, originally attributed to barn star painter Harry Adam (1915-2005). Adam painted barns and owned a paint store in Edenburg, Berks County. His work was inspired by Milton Hill, and features similar interlaced borders, but with a narrower, condensed appearance. These stars feature unusual circular patterns between the star points composed of two interlocked raindrops, similar to the Yin & Yang symbol of East Asia. These stars were repainted in the summer of 2008 by Eric Claypoole.

The Lutz barn at the Ontelaunee Dairy Farm, Albany Township, featuring four eight-pointed stars with central pinwheels, painted by Eric Claypoole of Lenhartsville in 2001.

Four traditional eight-pointed stars in Greenwich Township, articulated with four-pointed rosettes, and encircled by a braided border.

Three stars on the barn at Snowflake farm in Greenwich Township, with two classic eight-pointed stars in blue on either side of a unique barn star featuring snowflakes between the points of a starburst influenced by the barn star painted Harry Adam (1915-2005) of Edenburg, whose work was influenced by Milton J. Hill (1887-1972) of Virginville.