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Picket fence
Picket fence
Picket fence
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Classic white picket fence next to a sidewalk showing some signs of aging

Picket fences are a type of fence often used decoratively for domestic boundaries, distinguished by their evenly spaced vertical boards, the pickets, attached to horizontal rails. Picket fences are particularly popular in the United States, with the white picket fence coming to symbolize the ideal middle-class suburban life.

History

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Picket fences are particularly popular in the United States, where the style has been used since America's earliest colonial era and remains popular today. Pickets were historically sharpened logs used to defend positions and used as such by early colonists.[1] Now they are a decorative way to contain pets and children without blocking views, and are used around both front and back yards. Traditionally picket fences were made out of wood and painted white (or whitewashed), but now picket fences are also widely available in low-maintenance polyvinyl chloride (PVC or Vinyl).

Until the introduction of advertising on fences in the 1980s, cricket fields were usually surrounded by picket fences, giving rise to the expression "rattling the pickets" for a ball hit firmly into the fence.

Design

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A picket fence is generally 36 to 48 inches (91 to 122 cm) tall. A horizontal top rail and bottom rail are attached to fence posts, which are installed upright into the ground. Evenly spaced boards are affixed vertically to the rails. These boards with pointed tops are called "pickets" for their resemblance to the pointed stakes historically used by infantry to repel cavalry.[citation needed]

Picket fences can be made of several types of materials. Historically, wood has been the most popular material used for picket fences. This wood can be untreated, treated, or naturally insect and rot resistant. Available non-wood options include vinyl (PVC) and aluminum.[citation needed]

Installation

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The first step in installing a picket fence is to insert the posts into the ground. Traditionally this is done by digging deep holes (usually 36 inches (91 cm) x 12 inches (30 cm)) either manually or with a power auger. The posts are then placed upright into the ground and concrete is poured to cement them into place. Once they are set, the horizontal rails are affixed to the posts using fasteners, and finally the pickets can be attached to the horizontal rails. By far the most time-consuming part of installing a picket fence is setting the posts.

Painting with a picket fence

There are some vinyl picket fence systems on the market that are installed without digging holes or pouring concrete. These are installed by driving pipe deep into the ground, which is how chain link fence has been installed for years. This is the most popular way to install vinyl fence in Western Canada, where the deep frost can heave concrete footings out of the ground.[2]

Symbolism

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The picket fence, particularly when white, has iconic status as Americana,[3] symbolizing the ideal middle-class suburban life, with a family and children, large house, and peaceful living. This stems from the fact that houses in quiet, middle-class neighborhoods often have yards enclosed by picket fences.[4] This symbolism is also common to works critical of the middle-class lifestyle. For example, the director David Lynch uses ironic images of the picket fence in his 1986 film Blue Velvet.[5]

[edit]
  • Botticelli shows a picket fence in his painting Agony in the Garden, painted c. 1500.[6]
  • The phrase "picket fence" also describes text without spaces between words. Such texts are very common in Old Latin, with documents often lacking both spaces and punctuation.[7]
[edit]
  • A simple picket fence
    A simple picket fence
  • Western Australian jarrah picket fence
    Western Australian jarrah picket fence
  • White picket fence surrounds a front-yard Lotus pond in a village in Hubei, China
    White picket fence surrounds a front-yard Lotus pond in a village in Hubei, China
  • A cricket oval in Wallendbeen, New South Wales, with a white picket fence
    A cricket oval in Wallendbeen, New South Wales, with a white picket fence
  • A PVC (or vinyl) Picket Fence
    A PVC (or vinyl) Picket Fence
  • A gothic-style picket fence built using pressure treated pine
    A gothic-style picket fence built using pressure treated pine
  • Colorful metal picket fence in Russia
    Colorful metal picket fence in Russia

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Picket fence

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
A picket fence consists of evenly spaced vertical boards, known as pickets, which are typically pointed or rounded at the top and affixed to horizontal rails, forming a lightweight barrier primarily used for decorative domestic boundaries that permit visibility and ventilation. The term "picket" originates from the French word piquet, denoting a pointed stake or the action of piercing, reflecting the design's characteristic sharp-topped slats intended originally for defensive or demarcative purposes. Traditionally constructed from wood such as or cedar, modern variants employ materials like vinyl, PVC, or metal for durability and low maintenance. Picket fences trace their practical origins to colonial America, where adapted the style to mark property lines, deter , and provide an economical on level , evolving from earlier European influences in the . By the , rendered them affordable and widespread, particularly along the East Coast before expanding westward, shifting from mere utility to aesthetic enhancement in suburban settings. Culturally, the white picket fence emerged as an enduring emblem of the , evoking ideals of middle-class prosperity, familial stability, and idyllic suburban life, a motif popularized in mid-20th-century media and reinforced as for aspirational normalcy despite its roots in pragmatic frontier needs.

Historical Development

Origins and Early Uses

The term "picket" derives from the French word piquet, meaning a pointed stake, with roots traceable to the verb piquer ("to pierce"), entering English usage by the late to describe sharpened wooden stakes employed in defensive structures. In , these pickets functioned primarily as barriers, consisting of sharpened logs driven into the ground to form temporary palisades that protected archers from charges or fortified encampments against assaults. Such constructions emphasized functionality over , relying on the inherent deterrence of pointed tops to impede enemy advances without requiring complex fabrication. European colonists transported this practical design to during the 17th and 18th centuries, adapting it for frontier conditions where resources were scarce and threats from , , and rival settlers necessitated quick boundary demarcation. Early implementations involved rough-hewn wooden pickets—often split from local timber like or —set vertically into the or horizontal rails, forming inexpensive enclosures around homesteads to contain domestic animals and signal property claims under colonial land grants. These fences, sometimes left bare or coated with for visibility and preservation against rot, appeared in settlement records from the mid-1600s onward, as in and plantations where they supplemented split-rail alternatives. By the late , the "picket fence" as a distinct civilian form emerged in American usage around , evolving from defensive origins to routine yard boundaries that balanced containment with minimal obstruction of sightlines. Initial deployments prioritized utility in agrarian settings, deterring wandering hogs or —common pests in open-range colonial economies—while allowing airflow and pedestrian passage over low heights typically under 4 feet. Archaeological evidence from sites like Jamestown confirms such stakes in early 1600s fortifications, underscoring their role in survival-oriented before ornamental refinements.

Adoption and Evolution in America

Picket fences were adopted in colonial America during the by , primarily for practical purposes such as demarcating boundaries, containing , and protecting gardens from small animals. Early examples consisted of rough-hewn wooden pickets sharpened at the ends and set into the ground or attached to rails, reflecting influences from English and French military defenses where pointed stakes, or piquets, formed temporary barriers. In regions like and the Mid-Atlantic colonies, these fences marked the transition from wilderness to cultivated land, with legislation in places like by 1632 requiring owners to maintain fences to prevent wandering. By the 18th and early 19th centuries, picket fences evolved from utilitarian structures to more refined features in domestic architecture, often painted white using limewash for visibility, cleanliness, and to simulate costlier materials like stone. The availability of inexpensive white paint, derived from lead or lime, made this practice widespread among middling households, distinguishing them from unpainted split-rail fences used on farms. As urbanization increased, picket fences appeared around urban and suburban homes, with pointed tops providing modest security against pedestrians while allowing visibility, contrasting with taller, opaque enclosures. The marked a significant through industrialization, as steam-powered sawmills enabled of uniform pickets, and wire —patented in 1890 but widely used earlier—replaced wooden pegs, reducing costs and time. Victorian influences introduced ornamental variations, such as scalloped or turned balusters, turning picket fences into status symbols for the emerging , particularly after America's diversified land ownership. The Colonial Revival movement, spurred by the 1876 centennial exhibition, revived simpler, traditional designs, promoting picket fences as emblematic of early American virtue and domestic order in architectural pattern books and suburban planning. In the 20th century, picket fences adapted to suburban expansion, especially post-World War II, where they symbolized prosperity and the nuclear family ideal amid rapid housing developments. While privacy fences gained popularity in the 1950s for seclusion, the white picket fence persisted as a cultural archetype in media and real estate marketing, influencing zoning preferences for open front yards. Modern evolutions include durable materials like PVC, introduced in the late 20th century, maintaining the aesthetic while addressing wood's maintenance demands, though traditional wooden versions remain prevalent in historic preservation efforts.

Design and Construction

Core Design Features

A picket fence consists of vertical pickets attached to horizontal rails, which are supported by spaced posts embedded in the ground. This framework creates a semi-open barrier characterized by evenly spaced upright boards, typically 3 to 4 feet in height, allowing visibility, airflow, and light penetration while delineating boundaries. The pickets form the primary vertical elements, usually fashioned from 1x3 or 1x4 such as cedar, with tops often pointed, squared, or notched for aesthetic distinction from solid fences. They are nailed or screwed to the rails at intervals of 2 to 2.5 inches, ensuring uniform gaps that prevent the structure from appearing as a continuous . Horizontal rails, commonly two or three in number and made from 2x4 stock, provide structural integrity by spanning between posts set 5 to 8 feet apart. The bottom rail sits close to ground level, often 1 to 2 inches above to deter rot, while the top rail caps the pickets for a unified appearance. Posts, typically 4x4 extending 2 to 3 feet underground for stability, the fence and are spaced to balance load distribution and material economy, with footings recommended in unstable soils. This prioritizes simplicity and durability, enabling straightforward while accommodating minor variations through adjustable rail angles.

Materials and Modern Variations

Traditional picket fences are predominantly constructed from wood, with species such as western red cedar and redwood favored for their natural oils that confer resistance to rot, , and , enabling service lives of 15 to 25 years under moderate climates with periodic sealing. Pressure-treated serves as a more economical alternative, infused with preservatives like to inhibit fungal decay and extend durability to 10 to 20 years, though it requires regular to prevent cracking and warping from moisture exposure. Other woods like and offer similar properties but are less commonly used due to regional availability and higher costs. Modern variations have shifted toward synthetic and composite materials to address wood's vulnerabilities to . Vinyl, or (PVC), fences replicate the visual style of painted while resisting rot, fading, and insect damage entirely, with projected lifespans exceeding 30 years and negligible maintenance beyond occasional cleaning. Aluminum picket fences provide superior structural integrity and resistance through powder-coating, enduring over 50 years in harsh conditions without rusting, though they conduct heat and may dent under impact. Composite options, such as those mixing recycled fibers with , combine aesthetic warmth with enhanced moisture resistance and fade-proofing, outperforming untreated in longevity tests spanning 25 to 40 years. These alternatives enable stylistic innovations, including gothic profiles in pressure-treated pine or vibrant powder-coated metal designs, expanding picket fences beyond rural aesthetics into urban and ornamental applications while prioritizing material-specific trade-offs in cost, weight, and thermal performance.

Installation and Maintenance

Installation of a picket fence typically begins with site preparation, including verification of local building codes, utility line locations via services like in the United States, and marking the fence line with string lines for straight alignment. Post spacing is commonly set at 6 to 8 feet apart to support standard 8-foot rails while ensuring structural stability, with adjustments for terrain or gate placements. Post holes should be dug to a depth of one-third to one-half the above-ground post height, or at minimum below the local plus 4 inches to prevent heaving, typically using a post-hole digger for 8- to 10-inch holes. Posts, often 4x4 pressure-treated for wood fences, are then positioned plumb using a level, braced, and secured with footings poured to 4 inches below grade to allow for backfill and drainage. Once concrete sets (usually 24-48 hours), horizontal rails—typically 2x4 —are nailed or screwed to the posts at top, bottom, and sometimes middle positions, ensuring they are level and spaced to accommodate picket heights. Pickets, cut to uniform length (e.g., 4-6 feet for residential fences), are attached vertically to the rails with galvanized or screws, spaced 1/4 to 1/2 inch apart for and , or abutted tightly depending on design preference and material expansion. For non-wood materials like vinyl or metal, pre-fabricated panels may simplify assembly, with posts set similarly but using manufacturer-specified brackets or clips to avoid direct contact and reduce . Gates require additional framing and hinges aligned for smooth operation, often reinforced with diagonal bracing. Maintenance varies by material to extend lifespan and preserve appearance. Wooden picket fences demand annual inspections for rot, cracks, or , followed by with mild soap and water, then application of exterior or every 1-3 years to protect against and UV degradation, with pressure-treated varieties requiring less frequent treatment but still vulnerable to warping in humid climates. For painting wooden picket fences, apply exterior primer to bare surfaces or when making drastic color changes to seal the wood and improve paint adhesion, enhancing durability. Vinyl fences require minimal upkeep, involving every 4 months or as needed to remove or , avoiding harsh chemicals that could discolor the surface. Metal picket fences, such as or aluminum, necessitate monthly soap-and-water to prevent , with powder-coated finishes inspected annually for chips that could expose underlying metal to oxidation; touch-up painting restores protection, with primer applied to bare metal surfaces to ensure adhesion and corrosion resistance. Across materials, trimming adjacent prevents retention and pest harborage, while prompt repairs to loose pickets or leaning posts maintain integrity.

Practical Functions

Boundary Marking and Security

Picket fences primarily function as visual boundary markers, delineating property lines while allowing line-of-sight visibility between adjacent areas. Originating in colonial America, these fences were erected by to define amid open landscapes, distinguishing cultivated land from wilderness and preventing incursions without obstructing views. The evenly spaced vertical pickets, typically 4 to 6 inches wide and set 2 to 4 inches apart, create a clear demarcation that reduces neighbor disputes over edges, as the structure's uniformity signals intentional limits rather than natural barriers. In terms of , picket fences provide modest deterrence through psychological and minor physical means but fall short of robust protection. Their pointed or sharpened tops, a holdover from 16th-century English designs, discourage casual climbing by humans or animals, serving as a low-level barrier against opportunistic . However, the open gaps and typical heights of 3 to 4 feet enable easy stepping over or through, rendering them ineffective against determined intruders compared to solid fences, which block visibility and access more comprehensively. They excel at containing children and pets within yards, acting as a symbolic that prompts behavioral compliance, but studies and industry assessments note their vulnerability to breach without supplementary measures like gates or height extensions. For enhanced , taller variants (over 6 feet) or metal reinforcements are recommended, though these deviate from traditional aesthetics.

Aesthetic and Economic Benefits

Picket fences enhance the aesthetic appeal of properties through their classic, vertically oriented slats spaced to allow visibility while defining boundaries, often evoking a sense of traditional charm and order in residential landscapes. This design contributes to curb appeal by creating visual harmony with homes featuring colonial, Victorian, or suburban styles, making front yards appear more organized and inviting without obstructing views. Well-maintained picket fences serve as focal points that elevate the overall sophistication of a property's exterior, appealing to buyers seeking picturesque settings. Economically, picket fences can increase property values by improving marketability and perceived desirability, with installations often yielding returns through heightened buyer interest driven by aesthetic enhancements. Homeowners may recoup 30% to 70% of installation costs upon resale, depending on factors such as material quality, local market preferences, and fence condition, as fences that align with neighborhood aesthetics tend to command higher offers. For instance, wood or vinyl picket fences, when professionally installed and durable, contribute to value uplifts of 1% to 10% in some appraisals, particularly in areas valuing traditional boundaries over solid privacy barriers. Low-maintenance variants like PVC further support long-term economic benefits by reducing upkeep expenses compared to untreated wood.

Limitations and Criticisms

Picket fences offer limited compared to solid or taller barrier designs, as the spaced vertical pickets and typical height of 4 to 6 feet facilitate easy climbing by intruders or escape by children and pets, while gaps between slats permit small animals to pass through. This design prioritizes visibility over containment, rendering it inadequate for high-risk areas or properties requiring robust perimeter defense. Privacy is inherently compromised by the open spacing of pickets, which allows unobstructed views into enclosed yards, making picket fences unsuitable for shielding personal activities from neighbors or . Additionally, they provide minimal , as sound travels freely through the gaps, unlike solid fences. Wooden picket fences demand regular to prevent degradation from , including annual or to combat rot, warping, and damage, with full repainting often required every 3 to 5 years depending on exposure. Durability varies by material quality and treatment; untreated or pressure-treated may last 10 to 20 years but requires ongoing repairs for splintering or leaning posts. Environmental concerns arise from wood sourcing, as non-sustainably harvested timber contributes to and loss, though certified sources mitigate this through renewable practices. Initial installation costs for wooden variants range from $15 to $30 per linear foot, excluding labor, which can exceed those of chain-link alternatives when factoring in long-term upkeep.

Cultural and Symbolic Role

Symbolism in American Society

The white picket fence has emerged as an enduring symbol of the , representing domestic stability, homeownership, and middle-class prosperity in suburban settings. This imagery gained prominence in the post-World War II era, coinciding with the rapid expansion of suburbs like , where affordable single-family homes often featured such fences to demarcate neat, orderly yards. The fence's design—low enough to allow visibility into the property while providing a boundary—evokes a balance of openness and privacy, aligning with ideals of community and family life. Historically, the symbolism traces to the , when whitewashing wooden fences required costly lime-based paint that needed frequent reapplication, signaling affluence and care in frontier and early suburban homes. As America expanded westward after the Civil War, picket fences became practical markers of settled success, contrasting with rural or urban chaos. By the mid-20th century, this evolved into a cultural for aspirational living, reinforced through advertising and media portraying idyllic nuclear families behind white fences. In broader American society, the picket fence embodies for a perceived era of moral and economic certainty, often invoked in discussions of traditional values and self-reliance. However, critiques highlight its association with exclusionary practices; for instance, in regions like , suburban developments with picket fences facilitated racial and socioeconomic gatekeeping through and covenants, limiting access to the "dream" for non-whites and lower-income groups. Such views, drawn from historical analyses, argue the symbol masks underlying and isolation rather than universal opportunity.

Achievements and Aspirational Value

The white picket fence achieved cultural prominence as a marker of socioeconomic success during the post-World War II suburban expansion, where it visually embodied the rapid rise in homeownership rates from 44% in 1940 to approximately 64% by 1960, facilitating the transition of millions of Americans into single-family homes in planned communities like . This era's mass-produced fencing contributed to standardized suburban aesthetics that promoted community order and property demarcation, correlating with economic policies like the that enabled veteran-led home purchases and sustained middle-class growth. Aspirational value lies in its representation of attainable stability and family-oriented , evoking an ideal of harmonious domestic life where the fence signifies not just but to neighbors, a balance that resonated in mid-20th-century and media as shorthand for the "good life." For many, installing a picket fence marked the fulfillment of upward mobility, symbolizing moral and financial achievements like home accumulation amid rising suburban values, though this ideal has persisted more as cultural nostalgia than universal reality in subsequent decades. ![Classic picket fence][float-right]

Critiques and Alternative Perspectives

The white picket fence, as a symbol of suburban domesticity and the , has faced criticism for embodying exclusionary practices that perpetuated racial and class segregation in post-World War II America. Suburbs like , explicitly barred non-white buyers through restrictive covenants and informal policies, with the picket fence serving as a visual marker of homogeneous white communities designed to insulate residents from urban diversity and perceived social threats. This ideal reinforced "white innocence" in propaganda, portraying fenced suburbs as havens of moral superiority amid civil rights struggles, while sidelining broader societal inequities. Critics from sociological perspectives argue that the picket fence aesthetic fosters rather than genuine , prioritizing over collective interdependence in an era of rising . Single-family zoning laws, often visualized through such fences, have been linked to environmental unsustainability, contributing to , higher carbon emissions from , and inefficient that exacerbates housing shortages. Left-leaning analyses further contend that homeownership ideals like the picket fence entrench wealth inequality by favoring asset accumulation for the affluent, discouraging policies for affordable multi-unit that could benefit lower-income groups. Alternative perspectives emphasize urban or communal living as more adaptive to contemporary realities. Proponents of city-based highlight denser housing's economic vibrancy, , and cultural access, contrasting the suburban model's dependence on automobiles and isolation from services; for instance, post-2010 demographic shifts show delaying homeownership in favor of urban rentals amid high suburban costs. In diverse neighborhoods, studies reveal that apparent behind picket fences often masks persistent white privilege, with residents engaging in "color-blind" that limits power-sharing across racial lines. Emerging views among younger cohorts reject the fence entirely, prioritizing experiences like or over property ownership, viewing it as an outdated relic tied to norms rather than flexible modern lifestyles.

Representations in Media and Culture

Historical and Literary Depictions

The term "picket" derives from the French "," referring to pointed stakes originally used in fortifications to impede charges, with early fence-like applications appearing in European defensive structures by the . In colonial America, starting from the , European settlers constructed rudimentary picket fences from sharpened wooden stakes to delineate lines and provide modest barriers against wildlife and intruders, often whitewashed for preservation against weathering. By the early , these evolved into more ornamental forms, as evidenced by an 1838 depicting a picket fence enclosing a farmhouse, combining functional posts with slatted panels for aesthetic appeal. Photographic depictions emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, capturing picket fences as quintessentially American features of domestic landscapes. Alfred Stieglitz's associate photographed a white picket fence in New York around 1916, published in Camera Work in 1917, portraying it as an emblem of orderly suburban existence amid urban transitions. Similarly, 19th-century gelatin silver prints, such as those archived at the , show houses fronted by picket fences, divorced from their original contexts but illustrating widespread use in residential settings by the 1870s. In mid-20th-century painting, Charles E. Burchfield's watercolor White Picket Fence (c. 1965) rendered the structure with intricate detail, emphasizing its role in evoking pastoral nostalgia in American . Literary depictions of picket fences are comparatively sparse in pre-20th-century works, with references more commonly appearing as metaphors for domestic enclosure rather than detailed descriptions. In sociological literature, Mary Pattillo's Black Picket Fences (1999, second edition 2010) uses the motif to analyze spatial and class dynamics in Chicago's black middle-class neighborhoods, drawing on ethnographic data from the 1990s to contrast idealized white suburban imagery with real urban adaptations. Earlier fictional treatments, such as in regional American novels of the late 19th century, occasionally invoke picket fences to signify frontier settlement and property claims, though without the symbolic freight they later acquired in post-World War II narratives of suburban aspiration. These portrayals underscore the fence's transition from utilitarian barrier to cultural icon, grounded in empirical accounts of material construction rather than romanticized invention.

Film, Television, and Contemporary Usage

The white picket fence serves as a recurring visual motif in American film and television, embodying the of suburban prosperity and domestic tranquility. In mid-20th-century sitcoms such as (1957–1963), it framed idyllic family homes, signaling upper-middle-class stability and conformity amid post-World War II economic expansion. This imagery drew from real suburban developments where fences delineated neat properties, but media amplified it as shorthand for an attainable "" lifestyle. Later productions often subverted this symbolism to expose underlying tensions. David Lynch's Blue Velvet (1986) opens with sweeping shots of manicured lawns and white in , juxtaposing surface perfection against seedy criminality and psychological decay, critiquing the facade of small-town Americana. Similarly, the television series (1990–1991, 2017) employs picket fence aesthetics in its setting to contrast wholesome community appearances with horror and moral ambiguity, influencing subsequent genre works that dismantle suburban myths. The 1990s drama (1992–1996), created by and starring as Sheriff Jimmy Brock, explicitly incorporated the fence into its title and narrative, portraying life in the fictional Rome, Wisconsin, where quaint boundaries enclose bizarre crimes and ethical dilemmas. The series, which aired on and earned 14 Emmy nominations including wins for drama series in 1993 and 1996, used the motif to blend whimsy with on issues like , reflecting evolving views on hidden community fractures. In contemporary media, the picket fence persists as a of aspirational normalcy, frequently invoked to highlight disillusionment. Modern horror films, such as those in cycles depicting predatory threats in cookie-cutter neighborhoods, repurpose it as a site of vulnerability rather than security, mirroring empirical rises in suburban data from the 1980s onward that challenged earlier idyllic portrayals. Culturally, the phrase "white picket fence" has entered as "white picket fence ," denoting an unrealistic fixation on flawless domesticity, as critiqued in psychological discussions of lifestyle expectations. This usage underscores causal disconnects between media-fueled ideals and real-world variables like economic pressures, with recent analyses noting its role in marketing to evoke amid declining traditional homeownership rates.

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  61. https://www.fencesvirginiabeach.com/blog/history-of-the-white-picket-fence/
  62. https://scholarship.law.stjohns.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=7224&context=lawreview
  63. https://www.facebook.com/100095502465673/posts/-the-american-dream-how-world-war-ii-made-homeownership-possible-for-millions-by/615598104966933/
  64. https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/notes/feds-notes/homeownership-and-housing-equity-in-the-mid-twentieth-century-20250924.html
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  66. https://harbinger-journal.com/issue-2/the-walled-commons-to-the-picket-fence/
  67. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24586116
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  73. http://taylorduvall.com/im-a-20-something-and-i-dont-want-the-white-picket-fence/
  74. https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/108HFN
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  78. https://psmag.com/magazine/one-last-thing-white-picket-fence/
  79. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20140725-twin-peaks-what-made-it-so-good
  80. https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-does-lynchian-mean/
  81. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103512/
  82. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/picket_fences
  83. https://news.asu.edu/20241028-arts-humanities-and-education-horror-films-reflections-societys-deepest-fears-and-cultural
  84. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/white-picket-fence-syndrome_b_57f52ea6e4b02d64cba53079
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