Every once & a while a good one comes along

[kurt]

This was today's (and tomorrows) job.

Hey Kibbel; what's the right name for that copper turret cap/peak ornament?

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[Scottpat]

Now tell the truth. Day one is for looking at all of the fine craftsmanship and neat things. Day two is for the inspection! []

[DonTx]

Question: How far away were you when you took a picture of that copper turret thingy?

[kurt]

Same distance as the front elevation. My camera is 10X optical zoom/4X digital. Get's you really "close".

I've found the 10X optical zoom to be a very great asset in this job.

[Brian G]

Originally posted by hausdok

It's a finial.

A cookie for the Hausdok.

From the Illustrated Dictionary of Architecture:

finial - A small, sometimes foliated ornament at the top of a spire, pinnacle, or gable which acts as a terminal

Brian G.

Foliated or Not Foliated, That Is the Question...[:-magnify

[kurt]

Thanx guys; I was thinking finial, said finial to my customer, but had some hesitation in the back of my head. I think I need a backup brain......

[Bill Kibbel]

Not much of it left. From the pic, it looks like it's missing its point, some garniture and three scrolls. When Kurt climbs up on top of it he'll see where the point broke off of the ball.

Now who can name the style of the building? If anyone says Victorian, they'll be staying after class.

[kurt]

Originally posted by inspecthistoric

Not much of it left. From the pic, it looks like it's missing its point, some garniture and three scrolls. When Kurt climbs up on top of it he'll see where the point broke off of the ball.

Now who can name the style of the building? If anyone says Victorian, they'll be staying after class.

Okay; I will expose myself to scorn from Yoda.

Romanesque, largely due to the arches & the rounded turret feature. I was thinking more French Romanesque, due to the gables & restrained detailing in the front elevation. The strange little copper shed dormers kind of muck it up; I'm not sure where they came from.

[Chad Fabry]

I'm stickin my neck out here. Queene Anne influenced, but definite Romanesque features. I'd guess date of build 1895-1900

[kurt]

Originally posted by Chad Fabry

I'm stickin my neck out here. Queene Anne influenced, but definite Romanesque features. I'd guess date of build 1895-1900

1888, or so say City records which can easily be wrong. Built for a meat packer, whose name escapes me, @ the dawn of big shoulders & hog butchering for the world. At the time of construction, the last Native American encampment (basically a shanty town) had only been dismantled a few years previous about 1/4 mile away; this place was, literally, on the edge of town.

After a review of my library, I'm thinking Romanesque Revival; there's some Richardson & Queen Anne in there though. Fine tuning this is kind of hard. What say yeh, Kibbel?

[kurt]

OK, so now I'm answering my own posts; I'm obsessing. I guess I haven't had a good one for too long.

The octagonal turret kind of throws me off. The coachhouse has a the true radius feature of this style, whereas the main house doesn't(?).

[Bill Kibbel]

Well, I am very impressed with the responses. I was just hoping someone would mention Romanesque. I didn't expect Architectural Historians masquerading as Home Inspectors discussing specific characteristics.

"Romanesque" and "Romanesque Revival" are both used to label this style built from about 1870 to as late as 1900 although some experimentation with Romanesque features are seen on some churches and other buildings as early as mid-1840's. Some common elements include:

-Round arches over windows and/or entryways.

-Thick, cavernous entryways.

- Windows recessed from the exterior wall surface. (windows sometimes flush with the interior walls)

-Rounded, square and sometimes octagonal towers and turrets.

-Polychromatic exteriors with contrasting building materials.

The most noticeable influence of H. H. Richardson on the style was using rusticated stone, contrasting hues of color and textures at belt courses and arches, bands of windows, arches that begin at ground level and unique sculptured stone accents.

[kurt]

This babe is red sandstone, which is sorta unique. Unfortuneately, the soft sandstone has been getting demolished by freeze/thaw for the last 120 years & it needs work; lots of work. I think my customer is going to go for it, as they have the budget to accomodate things like custom stonework, and more importantly, the want to preserve & restore as much as they can. Aahhhhhhh.........

The 1st fl. interior is still quite good; only minor crimes, w/ most of the woodwork & flooring intact. The 2nd fl. hallway & BR's are reasonable, but the main 2nd fl. bath is a freakshow of early 80's hysteria.

The bath looks like a set for Miami Vice; white & purple marble floor to ceiling, w/ mauve cabinetry & a wonderful giant mauve bubble tub in the corner. They actually want to restore the bathroom to something that at least nods to the period, but w/some modern updates like a steam shower, rain head, etc. I think I've convinced them to go w/a decent running bond tile job, period pedestal lavs, etc.

We'll see. Stone, slate, & copper restoration comes first.......

[chrisprickett]

Kurt,

Back in my builder days in New England, that copper thingy on the top of the turret roof was called a "Witch's Cap".