Believe it or not, fences have a storied history that dates back to the earliest of civilizations. At Secure Fence and Rail, our contractors have been building quality fences in Brevard County for more than 20 years. We thought you might find it interesting to learn about how fences came to be and how they have evolved from civilization to civilization.
- According to the Smithsonian, “Fences are icons of the American landscape.” For decades, Americans have staked out their homes and territories by using fences.
- The origin of the word “fence” comes from the XIV Century word fens, a short term for the word defense, protection. It is defined as a structure serving as a barrier, boundary, or enclosure, usually made of posts or stakes joined together by boards, wire, or rails. It helps surround, keep away, separate and defend.
- No one can point out the inventor of the fence, however; the use of this idea to help keep things out and owner’s things in was definitely a major breakthrough in the early states of our progress.
- In the Bronze Age, stone fences built from stone indicate that fence builders did not plan on going anywhere anytime soon.
- Numa, the second king of Rome declared that all landowning men should outline their land with stones in honor of their God Terminalia in order to celebrate their takeover.
- Ancient Greeks and Romans built their fences around land they had conquered in foreign lands in order to claim it as their own.
- Infamous for growing hedges as fences, Anglo-Saxons made this barricade that was very beneficial to the ecosystems, including crops, soil and wildlife that lived and grew inside.
- Early American settlers began making the iconic Virginia Worm Fences in order to stake their claim. The rugged, zigzagging fences were simple and inexpensive to make, and did not require any posts to be placed.
- Native Americans in the eastern United States used high stockades to encase their villages.
- In the 1880s, barbed wire was invented and used by ranchers in the Wild West to keep new settlers from trespassing on pasture land.
So, the next time you look outside to take in the beauty and history of your beautiful wood, vinyl or aluminum fence, think about how far we’ve come as a civilization. Instead of piling up a bunch of rocks to keep invaders away, we’re putting up PupProtect Puppy Panels to help keep the likes of Bailey and his four-legged friends from escaping.