The History of Picket Fences

The picket fence was an important boundary marker for early American homes. Consistently popular throughout our country's history, it is considered a classic American look; in the words of George Nash, carpenter and author of "Wooden Fences," "a preeminent symbol of our national heritage and pride."

Description

Picket fences have short, evenly spaced vertical boards, called pickets, that are pointed or tapered at the top. They are often white-washed or painted white and can also be made of wrought iron.

Origins

The picket fence evolved from the medieval paling, made of a flat strip or round stake of wood, brought to the colonies by European settlers.

Modifications

As homes became fancier, so did the picket fence. More imposing homes in the 18th and 19th centuries might have a top rail to cover the pickets and finials carved to look like urns or eagles on the gate posts.

Gothic Style

Gothic Revival homes of the early 1800s reflected medieval style not only in the architecture, but in the picket fence, which might have pointed arches and be finished with ornate ironwork.

Mass Production

In the late 1800s mass production techniques made fence pickets more affordable, and people anywhere in the country could order them from catalogs.

References

• A Primer on Pickets
• White Picket Fences
• "Wooden Fences;" George Nash; 1999

Photo Credit

Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Gordana Adamovic-Mladenovic