What Does a Star on a Washington Home Mean? Beyond Decoration…

People choose to decorate their homes with all kinds of items, have you seen a star?

Stars on homes in Washington can mean many things. Often stars are seen on the exterior of a house in various colors, sizes, and materials. The most common form is the barn star, which goes way back to the 18th and 19th centuries. The stars were painted directly onto barns. Later, the stars became handcrafted from metal or wood. The Pennsylvania Dutch, Amish, Mennonites, and Lutherans were the first to make the stars a popular symbol.

Barn Stars were believed to bring good luck and keep evil spirits away.

According to House Digest, a five-pointed star is traditionally good luck, while a seven-pointed star may symbolize the biblical days of creation, or the seven planets of ancient times. The colors of barn stars represent different meanings.

Black or blue stars symbolize protection.

A white star stands for purity and energy.

A brown star is known to symbolize friendship and strength.

A gold star or yellow star holds meaning of love of man and the sun.

A star bolt typically appears on brick buildings for support.

Star bolts or star anchors are placed to preserve the building from buckling. It's used as a support anchor for a structure.

I lived in Pennsylvania for a number of years and barn stars are VERY common. You can read more about barn stars and their meanings here.