Barn Stars – A Living Tradition – Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center

Barn stars (also known as hex signs), are a form of indigenous American folk art. Throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania, and within the cultural hearth of the Pennsylvania Dutch, decorated barns, primarily from the 19^th century once saturated the rural landscape in Berks, Lehigh, Bucks, Northampton and Montgomery counties. Featuring geometric paintings of celestial bodies including stars, suns, and moons, these large-scale murals have come to represent the region’s culture and traditional arts.

Erroneously associated with the occult beginning in the 1920s by travel writers such as Wallace Nutting, who called them “hexefoos,” popular culture adopted the term hex sign by the 1940s. In contrast, the original terms for these designs among speakers of Pennsylvania Dutch language were “Schtanne” (stars) and “Blumme” (flowers), and were common everyday motifs for artistic expression.

For previous generations of Pennsylvanians, these star motifs were not only found on barns, but also throughout the material culture of everyday life. Stars and images of the heavens were not only decorative, but reflective of a common artistic expression of religious and cultural identity. Today, artists continue to paint barn stars as a vibrant, living tradition that celebrates Pennsylvania folk culture, and encourages new generations to explore, create and sustain the unique folk art traditions of the region.

An 8-pointed yellow and black star is surrounded by 8 4-pointed stars on a white background. These symbols are surrounded by a red line and a black and white scalloped bordered circle. This barn star is painted on red barn siding.

A geometric 16-point star painted in yellow, black, and white.

An extremely detailed barn star ghost or relief of what was previously painted. While the wood is all red in color, the relief of a 32-point star and star bursts can be seen in the right light or felt to the touch.

A 7 foot in diameter sign is painted on red barn siding. The barn star is comprised of a simple white 4-pointed star and "X" overlay in black and red. There are consentric borders surrounding the star in yellow, white and black. A yellow scalloped border is on the outside of the design.

A faded 6-pointed star with 6 star bursts are surrounded by a thick band of faded white.

A barn star painted on white siding has been cut out of the original barn. The design consists of a 6-pointed star in the center in red and blue, with a ring of yellow surrounding it. There is then 6 sets of red and blue triangles and a final yellow ring surrounding those elements.

16 different barn stars are shown agains a red background. They include a geometric heart design; a 12-pointed star in red, white, yellow, green and black; A geometric star with scalloped border in black, yellow, white, and green; A 6-pointed white star outline with a blue design, surrounded by a yellow scalloped border; A 6-pointed yellow rosette surrounded by a yellow ring and a black and white scalloped border. A white 4-teardrop swirl pattern sits on a red background, surrounded by a white and black sawtooth border; An extremely detailed 12-pointed star in yellow an blue sits on a white background with 12 yellow and blue teardrops entertwined with a two-toned blue scalloped border; An 8-pointed yellow and black star design with 8 black starbursts and a yellow and black sawtooth border; A red and white 6-pointed rosette on a red background; A geometric 8-pointed star in black a yellow is surrounded by concentric scalloped borders in a gradient of dark to light blue; An 8-pointed stat in yellow and black on a white background is surrounded by a black circle, 8 sets of yellow and black triangles and 8 black and yellow circles, and is surrounded by a yellow border; A stylized 6-pointed rosette in blue, pink, yellow, and black is surrounded by a yellow and a black ring border with 24 white star bursts;

08 - Barn Star Remnant - Chrissy Kent, Schuster Hex Signs

To discover more of the history and development of the living tradition of barn star painting, here is a presentation Barn Stars and Hex Signs of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

To explore the life and work of the region’s most influential barn star painter of the 20^th century, watch the presentation: Painter of the Stars: The Life and Work of Milton J. Hill (1887-1972).

For more information on the cultural significance of the Pennsylvania Barn, watch Bob Ensminger’s Origins of the Pennsylvania Barn.