On October 19, 2023, the iconic copper weathervane atop the Historic Germanna Visitor Center was removed, after we discovered a persistent leak in the roof, caused by the continuous turning of the weathervane. The roof was repaired and the leak capped. In the meantime, the weathervane was carefully transported to Rhode Island to David Ferro, who originally crafted it in 2000. Ferro then undertook the meticulous conservation of the aged weathervane, ensuring this iconic piece of Germanna’s history would stand tall for future generations.
Doug Harnsberger, Germanna descendant and architect of the Visitor Center, remarked the “intricate metal object has become a treasured emblem of the historic journey of the German colonists to Virginia.” In fact, the weathervane was designed out of copper to resemble a 17th-century barque, a three-masted vessel that may have been similar to the ship that brought the 1714 and 1717 German colonists to Virginia.
Earlier this year, Ferro finished the conservation work. Germanna descendant and former trustee Stephen Chanko carefully drove the weathervane back to Locust Grove. Finally, on Tuesday, the weathervane was restored to its rightful place atop the Visitor Center. W.A. Lynch Roofing, the Charlottesville-based company who removed the ship, re-installed the weathervane on top of a fabricated watertight layer created by Ferro.
We are so grateful to all of the individuals and organizations who came together to make this project happen, from transporting the weathervane back and forth from Rhode Island, to conserving it, to removing and reinstalling it. A special thanks to Stephen Chanko, David Ferro, Doug Harnsberger, Jennifer Hurst-Wender, and W.A. Lynch Roofing.
Next time you visit, you will once again be greeted by this unique symbol of the perseverance of the German immigrants who lived here over 300 years ago.
