# Is there any significance to 5 point 3D stars on structures?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-5-point-3d-stars-on-structures/483463>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 28, 2009, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-5-point-3d-stars-on-structures/483463 "2009-01-28T23:57:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-5-point-3d-stars-on-structures/483463/1 "2009-01-28T23:57:43Z")

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I’ve noticed a number of houses, barns, mobile homes, etc. that have a decorative feature of a 5 point 3D star. Something like this:

[http://www.xaraxone.com/webxealot/workbook52/star-08.gif](http://www.xaraxone.com/webxealot/workbook52/star-08.gif)

Does such a feature have any significance? I was wondering if there was any military connection since it looks like something from a award medal.

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**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-5-point-3d-stars-on-structures/483463/2 "2009-01-29T00:04:34Z")

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They’re actually called “[barnstars](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnstar)”, though I don’t know the details of their origin.

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**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-5-point-3d-stars-on-structures/483463/3 "2009-01-29T00:46:25Z")

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[Here’s](http://www.symbols.com/encyclopedia/28/2824.html) its [symbols.com](http://symbols.com) entry; nothing really jumps out at me, though. There are also various related entries [here](http://www.symbols.com/encyclopedia/28/index.html).

As a WAG, perhaps it’s related to the pentagram in its meaning as a ward against [druden](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drude)? Those were often painted on doorsteps to protect against their nightly visits.

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**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-5-point-3d-stars-on-structures/483463/4 "2009-01-29T17:47:30Z")

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I think their origin involves heavier cast iron plates that were sometimes put on the outside of brick walls to anchor reinforcements. One 5 story brick building I know well was moved about 100 feet and got this reinforcement treatment. The plates were sometimes plain squares but also sometimes given decorative forms. I suspect the new, lightweight, nonstructural decorations that have been popular in recent years may take their design from those older plates.

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**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-5-point-3d-stars-on-structures/483463/5 "2009-01-29T18:19:53Z")

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Well, at our State House they have a bunch of those on the walls and in the floor where Sherman’s cannonballs hit. Probably that’s not what they mean on your mobile home, though.