Original weathervane from the 1715 Powder Magazine in Williamsburg.

Date1715

OriginAmerica, Virginia, Williamsburg, Magazine

MediumIron; Resin; Paint

DimensionsThe rod is 9' 4" (T) x 1¼" wide tapering to top; The spirals are roughly 8" in diameter.

Object numberAF-12.9.1

DescriptionThis wrought iron weathervane is just over 9' tall and has a central rod to which 4 wrought spirals are attached by 2 bands. The rod then tapers to a point above the spirals. Black paint is visible on the surface of the weathervane. Paint analysis determined that the weathervane has at least 13 generations of finish, but only the first three have an appearance that suggests that they could date to the 18th century. The earliest finish was a thick, somewhat translucent brown coating that seems to be most like a natural tar or natural resin coating or perhaps a mix of the two. The layer is quite thick so the coating may have been reapplied several times with each application causing the earlier coatings to blend together. The next two generations were opaque finely-ground black paints. The fourth generation contains zinc white pigment which dates it to after 1845. The rest of the layers are from the late-19th and 20th centuries.
Label TextThis wrought iron weathervane rod was installed on the roof of the Magazine when it was constructed in 1715. It remained on the roof with a 1935 replacement finial until 2002, when a new modern replica made by CW historic trades blacksmiths was installed. It holds some of the last surviving paint evidence for the structure and indicates that it was painted black.