High in the misty hills of Appalachia, where old forests stretch for miles and stories travel easily from one porch to another, symbols have always mattered. Long before modern locks and alarm systems ...

Perhaps nothing symbolizes Pennsylvania Dutch culture more than the hex sign. Some believe hex signs were first added to barns as a kind of painted prayer, usually for blessings and as protection from ...

A barn star, also commonly referred to as a hex sign, painted by Eric Claypoole. Barn stars are a decorative tradition dating back to the early 1800s among Pennsylvania Dutch farmers. If you’ve spent ...

The Germans’ love of color and decoration led to their putting designs and color on every surface that stood still, and even some that didn’t. An 1810 watercolor by Lewis Miller of York depicts a ...