History 101: Quarterboards

Let me take you back in time. The year is 1815. The battle of Waterloo happened where the British forces defeated Napoleon and the French, the US Library of Congress is re-established after a fire with Thomas Jefferson’s 6,500 volumes and the world’s first commercial cheese factory established in Switzerland. Ahh, the simple times.

It was also the time that maritime law dictated that every vessel have its name adhered to its stern. So the vessel’s captain would call upon their wood worker and ask for them to engrave the vessels name and sometimes a decorative flourish on a board which would later be affixed to the vessel. Gold leafing was carefully applied to the incised lettering and flourishes to make it more readable at a greater distance.

Nowadays you see quarterboards on houses, sheds, boats and vehicles. Not all of them are gold leafed or have a flourish, but they certainly do stand out in a crowd.

Stop by and talk to one of our friendly staff about a house number or quarterboard today!