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A Soaring Symbol
The agricultural heritage of the Garden State energized the Grange Movement
From its perch atop the Ewing Grange building in Trenton Junction, this gilded copper weathervane served as a majestic symbol of the Patrons of Husbandry. Also known as the Grange, the organization was founded in 1867 by seven charter members – including New Jersey native John Trimble. The Grange espoused the importance of agriculture and support for American farmers. As a fraternal organization, Grange halls became important social centers while a political arm of the movement advocated for women's suffrage and other issues. New Jersey had more than one hundred Grange halls.
Evolved from devices on ancient Greek buildings that were used to predict wind direction and weather patterns, decorative weathervanes reached their height of popularity in the Victorian era. By the early twentieth century, artist Pablo Picasso recognized them as a noteworthy American art form. The maker of this eagle weathervane gilded the copper body with gold leaf. The ring in the eagle's beak symbolizes fidelity, one of the four tenets of the Grange movement. |