Quarterboard Signs

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Our Quarterboard signs (boat signs) are made in the tradition of old New England. Each quarterboard is hand carved, sculpted, and painted to create your personalized sign. Our qilding is done in 23k gold leaf. Mix and match shapes, fonts, colors and artwork to create your own traditional quarterboard.

Personalize your custom carved quarterboard

Select your preferred shape below

Height Width
Price
4" 32"
$150.00
5" 24"
$150.00
5" 36"
$200.00
6" 36"
$250.00
6" 48"
$300.00
8" 36"
$300.00
8" 48"
$400.00
9" 60"
$575.00
9" 84"
$825.00

Classic Quarterboard History

Nineteenth-century sailing ships displayed their names on decoratively carved and painted wood signs called Quarter boards. When a ship's captain retired and went ashore he would acquire the quarter board and place it on his house for all to admire.

Back in the days of sunken ships and buried treasure it became fashionable to recover the wooden quarterboards from a wreck. The quarterboard hung from the quarter deck and proudly bore the name of the boat. Off the coast of Cape Cod there were as many as 300 wrecks a year. Residents of the cape salvaged items to sell or to decorate their homes. Often a ship had a beautiful sculpted figurehead at the bow and carved quarterboards with their ends sculpted as scallops. Quarterboards appeared over doorways of pubs and private homes. Soon enterprising people began to carve quarterboards to sell as house signs to tourists. They have been popular ever since!

Are you looking specifically for a custom house sign? Browse our custom house signs gallery and then create your personalized house sign on our Custom House Signs Form page.

© 2008 Spring Valley Signs