Over the Independence Day weekend, I discovered a bit little bit of American historical past that I had by no means heard of earlier than. I discovered concerning the Freedom Flyer. Have you ever heard of this? That is the identify given to the metallic eagle decoration that you’ll usually see on American houses hanging both above the entrance door or over the storage door.
These aren’t as widespread as they as soon as had been, however I’ve seen loads of them in my lifetime. Actually, I by no means actually gave them a lot thought. I at all times thought it was only a piece of Americana — a patriotic image. In spite of everything, our nationwide hen is the bald eagle.
The bald eagle was adopted on the Nice Seal of the US in 1782, after a number of design makes an attempt starting proper after the Declaration of Independence.
In line with the Nationwide Archives web site, “Only a few hours after the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, the primary committee to design a seal for the US was appointed, and its design started. After present process quite a few adjustments, on June 20, 1782, the seal was formally adopted by the Continental Congress.” From there, the eagle turned a normal American image of independence, power, nationwide identification, and the Republic. Eagles are on all the pieces from the presidential seal, authorities buildings, our cash, and the listing goes on and on. In early American and Federal-style structure, eagles appeared in pediments, mantels, gates, indicators, furnishings, and over doorways as patriotic decoration.
However over the previous few days, I’ve seen these metallic eagle ornaments that grasp over the entrance door or storage door on many American houses known as a “freedom flyer”. I had by no means heard this identify earlier than, so this was new to me. And I noticed folks talking of a really particular which means that this decoration had within the 1940’s and 1950’s, so I did a bit digging to seek out extra data.
Because it seems, after World Battle II, homeownership expanded vastly in America after service members returned from the struggle and took benefit of the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (the G.I. Invoice), with over 4 million dwelling loans being granted underneath this program. About 20% of all new houses constructed after the struggle had been bought by veterans. And as households paid off their mortgages, they’d grasp an eagle above their door to represent that the house belonged to them and so they had been now not in debt to the financial institution. It was an emblem of being mortgage-free. So through the Forties and Nineteen Fifties, the eagle had a twin which means. It was a patriotic image — an emblem of our nation. However it was additionally an emblem of non-public freedom — freedom from debt.
As I used to be studying about this which means, it dawned on me that I’ve certainly one of these! A “freedom flyer” hung above my paternal grandparents’ storage doorways. And when my grandmother died and my aunts and uncles had been attempting to filter out her home, they invited all of us grandchildren over to see if we wished something. By the point I used to be capable of go over there, all the “good things” had been claimed (which I used to be completely advantageous with, to be trustworthy), however I did need at the least a small factor from their dwelling. And I occurred to see the eagle from their storage nonetheless there. Nobody had claimed it, so I took it dwelling.
I didn’t have any plans for it, and within the intervening years, it has been shuffled from room to room, field to field. I believed I would grasp it in a nook of my workshop or one thing like that, however I didn’t actually give it a lot thought past that. It was nothing greater than a little bit of memorabilia from my grandparents’ dwelling that might doubtlessly be packed away in a field for the remainder of my life.
However after studying about this distinctive historical past, and in any case of those years that I’ve held onto this, it made me a bit extra excited to be the proprietor of my grandparents’ “freedom flyer”. So I made a decision to dig it out of storage and dirt it off. I didn’t measure it, however I’d guess it’s about 18 inches extensive and manufactured from forged iron.
And now I actually wish to discover a place for it on the entrance of our home. Sadly, there’s not sufficient house for it above our entrance door because the ceiling of our entrance porch is so low.
So I’m going to need to improvise a bit bit and discover one other place to show it. I often don’t like metallic decor of any variety on the entrance of a home. Right here in Texas, i.e., The Lone Star State (the place we’re very happy with our state 😀 ), you’ll see numerous metallic Lone Star decor on the entrance of homes. I really like Texas, however I’ve by no means been a fan of the Lone Star decor. That’s simply my private style. And I’ve by no means actually been a fan of any form of metallic ornaments or decor on a home. Once more, it’s only a matter of non-public style.
However on this case, I’m going to make an exception. I’m actually enthusiastic about discovering the proper spot for my “freedom flyer”, and I feel it is smart on our home. Our home was constructed within the late Forties when the “freedom from debt” which means was surging. And as an added bonus, Matt and I don’t have a mortgage. We paid off our home years in the past. Plus, it’s a bit little bit of memorabilia from my grandparents’ dwelling that I can show on our home. I’m so glad I discovered the historical past of this “freedom flyer” and that it went from a random metallic decoration that might make me assume, “What am I going to do with this? I don’t wish to throw it away, however I’ve no place for it,” every time I got here throughout it, to now eager to show it proudly on the entrance of our home someplace due to its historic which means and nostalgic worth.
Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I transform and adorn the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do nearly all of the work on the home on my own. You possibly can study extra about me right here.
