ashlar — squared stones, or sometimes wood shaped to look like squared stones that faces a building
awning window — a window attached at the top of the window, which pushes out from the bottom to open
balloon framing — a method of wood framing (begun in the 19th century) where the exterior walls are continuous from foundation to roof plate, and all the framing members are secured with nails
baluster — one of a series of uprights, often vase-shaped, used to support a handrail
balustrade — the low wall made up of a series of balusters and railings
bargeboard — fancy, wooden ornately carved scrollwork, attached to and hanging down under the eaves of the projecting edge of a gable roof
baseboard (skirting board) — interior finish trim hiding the wall and floor junction
bay — sections of a building, usually counted by windows and doors dividing the house vertically [related to massing]
bay window — an alcove projecting from an outside wall and having its own windows and foundation
board and batten — a siding for a house consisting of wide vertical boards with strips (battens) covering where the boards join
bond – the pattern in which bricks are laid, either to enhance strength or for design
bracket — historically, a support element used under eaves or other overhangs. In Victorian architecture, exaggerated brackets used under wide eaves are decorative rather than functional.
capital — top part of a column, usually decorated. (see column for the three classical Greek Orders)
carpenter gothic — ornate wood decoration; also called gingerbread, carpenter's lace
cast-iron — iron, shaped in a mold, brittle, hard, cannot be welded; in the 19th century it was used in fencing and in American commercial architecture, with cast-iron units used to form entire facades.
cladding — exterior surface material that provides the weather protection for a building
clapboard (weatherboard) — a house siding of long, narrow boards with one edge thicker than the other, overlapped to cover the outer walls of frame structures
column — upright pillar serving as a support or ornament for a building
Classical Orders:
- Doric (earliest and simplest) Doric columns usually have no base; the shaft is thick and broadly fluted, the capital is plain.
- Ionic (second) Ionic columns are usually slender, with fluted shafts, and prominent volutes on the capital.
- Corinthian (latest and most ornate Order) Corinthian columns are slender, usually fluted, with capitals elaborately carved with acanthus leaves.
coping — a cap or covering on top of a wall, either flat or sloping, to shed water
cornice — (1) a decorative feature found under the eaves of a roof; (2) projecting ornamental molding hiding joint of a ceiling or roof, and wall
course — a continuous horizontal row of brick or stone in a wall
cupola — small tower raised above the roof, also called a belvedere
dentils — small, oblong blocks spaced in a band to decorate a cornice
dormer — an upright window projecting from the sloping roof of a building; also the roofed structure housing such a window
eave — the projecting overhang at the lower edge of a sloping roof
eclectic — mixing elements from different sources, including styles, colors, or materials
elevation — one of the external faces of a building; an architectural drawing (to scale) of a building facade
ell — an addition or wing to a house that shapes it like an "L" or a "T"
entablature — in classical architecture, the part of the structure between the column capital and the roof or pediment
environmental setting — (1) The boundaries of a designated site, including buildings and grounds, within which the HDC will review proposed alterations; (2) The area associated with an historic site that contributes to its overall historic character, including buildings and grounds.
facade — the faces of a building, often identified by the cardinal direction (N,S,E,W) which it faces
fascia — a plain horizontal band; a fascia board will cover the joint between the wall and the projecting eaves
fanlight — a semicircular or fan-shaped window with radiating members or tracery set over a door or window; may or may not be operable [see transom]
fenestration — the pattern of windows in a building
finial — an ornament, often urn-shaped, used to decorate the top of a spire, gable, or pinnacle
frieze — an ornamental horizontal band or strip in a wall
gable — (1) that part of the wall, triangular in shape, defined by the sloping sides of a double pitch or gable roof; (2) the end wall of a building.
glazing — the glass in a window
half-timbering — wall construction in which spaces between wooden timber framing are filled with brick, stone, or other material; used decoratively in 20th century houses
head — the top of the frame of a window or door
header — the end of the brick seen in a brick course
jamb — the straight vertical side of a doorway or window
joist — horizontal structural members to which the boards of a floor or the lath for a ceiling are nailed
keystone — a wedge-shaped stone in the crown of an arch or center of a lintel to bind the structure
lancet — a narrow pointed arched opening seen in Gothic Revival
lattice — openwork produced by interlacing of wood laths or other thin strips, used as screening, especially under a porch
leaded glass — small panes of glass held in place with lead strips; glass may be clear or colored (stained)
lean-to — a small building added to another building, usually covered by a sloping (or shed) roof
light (lite) — small panes of window set into an individual sash
lime mortar — lime + sand + water; used prior to late 19th century to lay brick and stone, and for parging exterior masonry walls
lintel — the horizontal top piece of a window or door opening
masonry — work done by masons, including brick, stone, or concrete block
massing — the expression of interior volume as form
mortar — a material used in the plastic state and troweled into place to harden (see lime mortar, portland cement); used to consolidate brick, stone, and concrete block work
mullion — the subsidiary vertical member of a frame of a door or window
muntin — the thin vertical bars that vertically divides a window or other opening into small lights
newel — the principal post in a banister at the foot of a staircase and at the corners of landings
oriel — a projecting window on an upper floor, often supported with brackets
Palladian windows/doors — a round-headed window or door flanked by lower rectangular windows, and separated by columns
parapet — a protective railing or low wall at the edge of a roof, balcony or terrace
parging (pargeting) — to coat with plaster, particularly foundation walls and rough masonry (see stucco)
pediment — a triangular section, or gable end, often used above doors and windows or at porch entrances
piazza — an American term for a broad veranda
pier — point foundation, such as may support a column, or porch
pilaster — a flat form of a pillar or column applied to a wall and used as decoration
pitch — the degree of slope of a roof, usually given in the form of a ratio, such as 6:12
porch — a roofed exterior space on the outside of a building
porte-cochere — a large covered entrance porch through which vehicles can drive and passengers can alight from a vehicle and enter a building
portico — a covered and usually projecting entrance porch supported by classical columns and often crowned with a pediment, forming the centerpiece of the front facade of the building
Portland cement — a high-strength material (commercially dating to 1824) used as a component of concrete and modern hard mortars.
quoins — rectangles of stone or wood used to accentuate and decorate the corner of a building
rafter — framing member supporting the roof
repointing — removal of old mortar from joints of masonry construction and filling in with new mortar
return – the part of a pattern that continues around a corner
ridge — the [top] line of intersection of the opposite sides of a sloping roof
riser — the vertical face of a step (see tread)
roofs — gabled: roof sloping downward in two parts from a central ridge; the gable is the part of an outside wall in the shape of a triangle between the sloping roofs
- gambrel — a ridged roof with two different slopes on each side of the ridge, the lower slope having a steeper pitch (sometimes called a Dutch gambrel roof)
- hipped — a roof with four uniformly pitched or sloping sides
- jerkinhead — a gable roof with a hipped end
- mansard — two slopes on each of its four sides; one part very steep and curved, often with dormers
rusticated block — concrete block formed to replicate rough stone
sash — the moveable framework holding the glass in a window or door
sill — the horizontal water-shedding element at the bottom of a window or door frame
siding — the exterior wall covering of a structure
- German — common 19th century wood siding pattern, with a combination of concave curve and flat profile
- novelty — general term for 19th century wood siding with a decorative profile
spire — a tapering roof topping a tower; steeple
shingles — thin pieces of wood used in overlapping rows to cover roofs and exterior walls of houses; can be cut in decorative shapes
sidelights — windows at either side of a door; often in conjunction with a transom above door and sidelights
soffit — the underside of a beam, arch or other architectural element.
stoop — the landing and stairs, covered or uncovered, leading to the main entrance of a house
streetscape — the combined visual image from all of the physical elements found on both sides of a street, including the property up to the building front
stucco — exterior plaster
stretcher — the long side of a brick when laid horizontally
studs — the upright framing members for a wall
transom window — a window above a door; commonly hinged for separate operation
tread — the horizontal surface of a step (see riser)
trim — the framing of features on a façade which may be of a different color, material, or design than the adjacent wall surface
turret — a little tower, set at an angle to the main wall; often at a corner and projecting above a building
veranda — a roofed, open gallery or porch; a large covered porch extending along one or more sides of a building and designed for outdoor living.
verge board — see bargeboard
vernacular — used to describe buildings with little or no stylistic pretension, or those which may reflect a rural interpretation of high-style architecture of the day
watertable — a slight projection of the lower masonry or brick wall a few feet above the ground as a protection against rain
windows — glass set into a sash, or frame
- double-hung — a window with two sashes, one above the other, arranged to slide vertically past each other
- casement — a window with the sash hung vertically and opening inward or outward
Sources:
© Centre County Historical Society, 1999
The Elements of Style, Stephen Calloway and Elizabeth Cromley (1996)
Construction Dictionary, Greater Phoenix, Arizona chapter #98 of the National Association of Women in Construction (1985)
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (2001)
