Boston has been the ancestral home of American weathervanes ever since the days when old Deacon Shem Drowne in his coppersmith shop on Ann Street hammered out the Fanueil Hall Grasshopper and the Province House Indian. No other city in the country has as many old vanes.

But ever since the days of early Greece when Andronicus, the noted Athenian astronomer, invented his herologium, or "tower of wind" and topped it with a bronze Triton, weathervanes have been used. Castles of the medieval knights had scroll vanes bearing the coats of arms of the great feudal families; pictures of old English castles dating before 1200 show scrolls and bannerettes capping their turrets.

And, in spite of the fact that for the past 30 years many weathervanes have been taken down, Boston has had severalthat have steadily faced the wind withoutinterruption.

First and foremost as it is the most well-known vane in the country, is the Fanuel Hall grasshopper which has looked down upon Dock Square from its lofty perch since it was placed there by its creator, Sherm Drowne, in 1749. Its green glass eyes have seen some of the most dramatic scenes of our early American history including the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party.

Made of copper to last, he still looks as if he could jump with the best of his kind as he points his long antennae to the wind. He has, however, had several accidents in his long life of over 200 years. In the Fall of 1755 when Boston suffered an earthquake, the mammoth insect was thrown to the ground but railied minus one leg which was supplied by Drowne's son, Thomas. It passed through the fire of 1761 successfully with no damage and it wasn't until more than 100 years later, in March 1889, that it had injuries. Then, when the flag was being lowered after the anniversary exercises commemorating the evacuation of Boston, the hopper was knocked off and lost its horns and two front feet which were replaced.