Where have all the cow heads gone? A piece of Peaceful Meadows lives on in Hanover

David R. Smith, The Patriot Ledger
·2 min read

HANOVER − The two sculpted cow heads at the former Peaceful Meadows Ice Cream shop in Whitman were put out to pasture this past fall by the property's new owner, Hornstra Farms, of Norwell.

“We weren’t quite sure what purpose they served over there,” said Alison Hornstra, who handles client relations for Hornstra Farms, which is owned by her brother. The company bought Peaceful Meadows in August.

Hornstra Farms didn’t just chuck them in a dumpster, though. Instead, they put them up for sale on Facebook for $500 each. Both sold within minutes of the posting.

The cow head sculptures that were once displayed on the farmland at the since-closed Peaceful Meadows Ice Cream shop were sold after the property's new owner, Hornstra Farms of Norwell, took over in the summer of 2023.
The cow head sculptures that were once displayed on the farmland at the since-closed Peaceful Meadows Ice Cream shop were sold after the property's new owner, Hornstra Farms of Norwell, took over in the summer of 2023.

The black one went to a private buyer and the white one to the Frame Center in Hanover, which unveiled a new display featuring its cow head as part of an overall sculpture and frame garden outside the shop at 152 Rockland St. shortly before Christmas.

Preserving a piece of Peaceful Meadows

Frame Center owner Dave Petty said he knew he wanted to do something with it − even if he wasn’t sure what − when he bought it.

“It was spontaneous, sort of an impulse buy,” he said.

Even so, he said he and others at the frame shop knew it might have the sort of value that isn’t measured by cost.

“We felt it was a nostalgic part of the community and didn't want to see it disappear,” he said.

Getting it to his store was handled by his assistant, Kelly Pennington, who found someone to pick it up for them.

A cow head sculpture from the former Peaceful Meadows Ice Cream in Whitman is the centerpiece of a work-in-progress display outside the Frame Center at 152 Rockland St. in Hanover.
A cow head sculpture from the former Peaceful Meadows Ice Cream in Whitman is the centerpiece of a work-in-progress display outside the Frame Center at 152 Rockland St. in Hanover.

“When you actually get the cow head up close, it's a lot bigger than it looked when it was on the mounts,” Petty said.

Despite its size, the head wasn’t as heavy as Petty thought it would be.

"It's more just awkward because of the overall size and shape of it,” he said.

The head is mounted in an area to the left of the driveway leading to the Frame Center. It is flanked by blank frames on surrounding trees.

Pennington said the display is not finished yet. She said more frames, at least one other sculpture and other touches will likely be added over the next several months.

The Frame Center in Hanover bought one of the two sculpted cow heads that were on display in the pasture of the now-closed Peaceful Meadows Ice Cream, which has since reopened as a second site cream and dairy store site for Honstra Farms in Norwell..
The Frame Center in Hanover bought one of the two sculpted cow heads that were on display in the pasture of the now-closed Peaceful Meadows Ice Cream, which has since reopened as a second site cream and dairy store site for Honstra Farms in Norwell..

"This is going to be a fun project to follow," she said.

While now serving as signs of a time gone buy, the cow heads drew a lot of criticism in the comments section of the Facebook for-sale post.

Many of the people responding said the sculptures were a pale comparison to the real cows that once grazed the 55 acres of pasture until Peaceful Meadows cleared them out over a decade ago.

"I was reading the comments and said, 'Whoa, I'm staying out of this,'" Alison Hornstra said.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Hanover business buys cow head sculpture from former Peaceful Meadows