This birdhouse, intended for Purple Martins, was designed and built by J. Warren Jacobs, founder of the Jacobs Birdhouse and Manufacturing Company in Waynesburg, PA in the 1940s. It is the last of this design ever to be built. Called the “Capitol Birdhouse”, it was one of the largest models produced by the Jacobs Birdhouse Company. It was designed to be mounted on a pole, towering 16 to 18 feet above the ground.
In 1915, Henry Ford purchased 15 Purple Martin birdhouses in the Capitol design to be used on his estate, Fairlawn, in Michigan and on the Ford Motor Company Grounds.
Greene County native J. Warren Jacobs (1868-1947) was a self-taught ornithologist and oologist (one who studies bird eggs). He gained international fame following the publication of his story of a Purple Martin colony in a 1903 pamphlet. The story detailed his observations of a colony he established in 1896 at his home in Waynesburg.
In his early life, Jacobs was employed in the family business painting scroll work and trim on repaired wagons and advertising on buildings and signs. He was also a noteworthy woodworker. His sign painting and skills as a calligrapher were a gift he utilized throughout his entire life, with the Waynesburg and Washington Railroad being one of his regular customers.
This specific Capitol Birdhouse was the last made by Jacobs — made to the original design specifications, whereas most models available by the 1940s had experienced some design changes. It was gifted to the Greene County Historical Society in 1959 and has been on display since 1984; it was refurbished by museum staff in 1990. Now it is a focal point in the main hall of the museum.
Please keep an eye out on our Facebook Page and our website at http://www.greenecountyhistory.org to stay up to dates on our presentation series and events as we look forward to our open season beginning April 29, 2023.
