People choose to decorate their homes with all kinds of items, have you seen a star?. Stars on homes in Washington can mean many things. Often stars are seen on the exterior of a house in various colors, sizes, and materials. The most common form is the barn star, which goes way back to the 18th and 19th centuries. The stars were painted directly onto barns. Later, the stars became handcrafted from metal or wood. The Pennsylvania Dutch, Amish, Mennonites, and Lutherans were the first to make the stars a popular symbol.