Weather Vanes and Cupolas

By GuestPoster

For a lot of people, there are few aspects of the rural landscape that are as familiar as the cupola atop a barn. Inevitably, on top of the cupola, there would be a weather vane. Perhaps it would be a rooster crowing. Perhaps it would be a racing horse galloping over the landscape. Whatever it was, that image is a part of the American cultural identity.

But in fact, cupolas actually originated in Europe. They are apexes – that is, the tippety top of another building, be it a church or a cattle barn. They orginated because people wanted lookout towers – a means to survey the miles around them and see who was approaching, how fast they were moving, and was coming with them. Even the ones that were built in, say, colonial New England still retain aspects of this original purpose. They have a window facing each direction.

The cupola was also a place to hang a bell (effectively transforming them into belfrys). Some people even used them to hang lights. Think of Paul Revere galloping through Boston based on the lanters that were displayed from atop of the local church. In this regard, the cupola wasn’t so much about surveying for potential visitors as it was with facilitating communication between friend and neighbors.

These days, you don’t find a lot of people seeking out their own cupola. Most houses and barns don’t have them – and if they do, it’s far more a decorative element than anything practical. We aren’t really worried about invaders any longer and if we want to talk to our neighbor, we simply pick up the telephone. Still, they remain as architectural reminders of our history. Those that are well-maintained can offer their owners a little getaway, a chance to climb above the worries and stresses of day-to-day life and simply appreciate a broad view of one’s surroundings. Like the proverbial weather vane so often turning on top of it, the cupola reminds us of our past.

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