Atlas Obscura
Barn Stars of Berks County in Kutztown, Pennsylvania
Amid the rolling hills of northern Berks County, you’ll find a treasured American folk art tradition that lives on today: barn stars. The most well-known symbol of the Pennsylvania Dutch, barn stars are believed to have originated as early as the late 18th century in rural Pennsylvania. These early German-speaking immigrants believed that barn stars would protect them from evil and bring prospe…