HOUSE & HOME
The Cow House Morgantown magazine spoke with Jennifer Forester, owner and cow-loving curator of the Cow House, back in 2011 for our premier issue. Forester says her OCD—obsessive cow disorder—all started in 1988 with a cow- themed doll she received as a gift from her sister. From there, her collection has grown to consist of several hundred cow novelties, from salt and pepper shakers to stained glass windows. Visitors to the Cow House are greeted by a bull in West Virginia University overalls with his “pretty in pink” heifer by his side. These whimsical wooden cutouts swing open for access to the porch, a gate unlike any other in Morgantown. The porch and mailbox are covered in a signature cow-print pattern, and the theme continues inside, where figurines find their spot on the shelves and a classic white enamel kitchen sink gives this home its proud farmhouse feel. Some say it may be too much for a college town such as ours, but Forester has the perfect response: “How can you not love cows? They’re so—human.” Forester and her husband have made a few changes to the decor around the home since we last spoke with them. Don’t worry—the cows are still abundant. One of the WVU football cows that hung on the railing of the home’s upper deck underwent a career and cosmetic change: he plays basketball now, allowing two of WVU’s most popular sports to be represented. And what is Morgantown without its Mountaineer?—er, Moo-taineer? The cows enjoying a milk bath in a pink tub on the upper deck of the home had to go, however. “It’s a relief. I was afraid a strong wind was going to blow them over to the neighbors,” Forester says. In the course of some larger renovations, such as updating her front steps, Forester has collected a few new items to display in the home. While her “Wizard of Oz” set will always have a special spot in her heart, her current favorite item is a small statuette of a man milking a cow, a gift from friend Sonny Chess. “To me, that’s Sonny.” No matter how much time passes, there is one thing that will never change about the Cow House: the reactions of those who see it. A fixture in the Morgantown community, the bovine-themed home inspires whimsy, a lot of smiles, and some mooing. “Drive-by mooings will start again,” Forester says—since school will be starting back up in August, it’s inevitable that she’ll have some visitors. “Kids love to do it.”
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