Skip to content
A rare and important circa-1850 molded-copper fireman weathervane made for the Union Fire Hall, now Charley Rouss Fire Company, in Winchester, Va. Height: 73 inches. Photo courtesy Dustin Bowers.

Rare ‘Old Jake’ weather vane finds home at Virginia museum

Tom Hoepf
Tom Hoepf
A rare and important circa-1850 molded-copper fireman weathervane made for the Union Fire Hall, now Charley Rouss Fire Company, in Winchester, Va. Height: 73 inches. Photo courtesy Dustin Bowers.
A rare and important circa-1850 molded-copper fireman weathervane made for the Union Fire Hall, now Charley Rouss Fire Company, in Winchester, Va. Height: 73 inches. Photo courtesy Dustin Bowers.

WINCHESTER, Va. (AP) – A mid-1800s weather vane valued by Sotheby’s New York at $3 million to $5 million has found a temporary home after failing to sell at auction.

The 6-foot-tall copper weather vane known as “Old Jake” will be on display at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley for three years beginning July 3.

“Old Jake” has topped the Rouss Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company’s fire houses in Winchester since around 1860.

The fire company decided to sell “Old Jake” at Sotheby’s New York’s Americana auction in January. But the highest bid, $2.1 million, did not meet the undisclosed reserve price.

President Tim Clark says the fire company decided several weeks ago to loan “Old Jake” to the museum.
___

On the Net:

Museum of the Shenandoah Valley: www.shenandoahmuseum.org

Rouss Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company:
www.roussfirecompany.com

___

Information from: The Winchester Star,
http://www.winchesterstar.com

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-ES-06-23-09 1145EDT