The Winchester Star

The Winchester Star
WINCHESTER — For 137 years, the noble figure of “Old Uncle Jake Barnhart” has presided over the city skyline.

The 6-foot-tall copper weather vane has moved with the wind above the Rouss Fire Company at 3 N. Braddock St. since at least 1871 — when its presence was first recorded in the Rouss Fire Company meeting minutes.

But the history of how the weather vane earned its placement and name remain a mystery.
“Our problem is we don’t know how old ‘Uncle Jake’ is,” said Dustin Bowers, 28, a volunteer with the Rouss Fire Company who has researched the history of the fire company for the past five months. “It’s something that’s been over Winchester for more than 100 years and no one knew anything about it.”