Daily Archives: May 9, 2025

Georgian (1700–1780)

• • • • Windows: Double-hung sash windows with 6-over-6 or 9-over-9 panes.

      • Details: Symmetrical arrangement, flat arches or simple lintels, often with shutters.

      • Materials: Wood frames, usually painted white.

Federal (1780–1830)

• • • • Windows: Double-hung sash windows, typically 6-over-6.

      • Details: Frequently include fanlights over doors and elliptical or Palladian windows.

      • Shape: Taller and more slender than Georgian.

Greek Revival (1825–1860)

• • • • Windows: 6-over-6 or 9-over-9 double-hung.

      • Details: Trim is heavier, with bold lintels or cornices, and sometimes triple windows.

      • Symmetry: Very formal and aligned.

Gothic Revival (1840–1880)

• • • • Windows: Pointed arched or lancet windows.

      • Details: Often include tracery or leaded glass.

      • Unique Feature: Steep gables often include small attic windows with Gothic arch tops.

Italianate (1840–1885)

• • • • Windows: Tall and narrow, typically 2-over-2 double-hung.

      • Details: Frequently arched or curved at the top with elaborate hood molds or brackets.

Queen Anne / Victorian (1880–1910)

• • • • Windows: Mix of 1-over-1 sash, bay windows, and stained or leaded glass.

      • Details: Asymmetrical placement, curved or multi-faceted bays.

      • Ornamentation: Highly decorative, often with colored panes or etched glass.

Colonial Revival (1880–1955)

• • • • Windows: Double-hung sash with 6-over-6 or 8-over-8 panes.

      • Details: Return to Georgian symmetry and formality, often with shutters.

      • Palladian window usage is revived.

Tudor Revival (1890–1940)

• • • • Windows: Casement windows with diamond-pane leaded glass.

      • Details: Grouped in twos or threes, framed in dark wood or stone.

      • Bay or oriel windows common.

Craftsman / Bungalow (1905–1930)

• • • • Windows: Double-hung with 3-over-1 or 6-over-1 panes.

      • Details: Grouped in bands, simple wood trim.

      • Materials: Often wood, sometimes stained.

Prairie (1900–1920)

• • • • Windows: Horizontal bands of casement windows.

      • Details: Art glass or geometric patterns.

      • Style: Integrated with horizontal emphasis of the home.

🔍 Definition

• • • • A cornice is the uppermost section of moldings along the top of a wall or building, often part of the entablature in classical architecture.

A drip (or drip edge, drip molding) is a projecting feature designed to throw water away from the face of the wall to prevent staining, erosion, or water infiltration.

🏛️ Historical Styles with Cornice Drips

1. Greek & Roman Classical Cornices

Feature: Drip groove (cyma recta or cyma reversa moldings), mutules or modillions with overhanging soffits.

Drip Function: The projection itself and carved gutter lines helped divert rain away.

Example: Doric cornices often had a flat corona with a carved drip groove underneath.

2. Renaissance Cornices

Feature: Deep overhangs with egg-and-dart moldings and dentils.

Drip: Often integrated as a sharp edge or cavetto at the bottom of the projecting member.

3. Baroque & Rococo Cornices

Feature: Bold, curved cornices with scrollwork and brackets.

Drip: Water-shedding grooves were hidden in ornamental flourishes or scrolled modillions.

4. Georgian & Federal Cornices

Feature: Straight, symmetrical moldings with dentils or crown profiles.

Drip: A distinct, linear drip edge often built into the fascia or lower molding.

5. Victorian Cornices

Feature: Highly decorative with brackets and multiple layers of moldings.

Drip: Sometimes incorporated metal flashing or pronounced wood projections to manage water.

6. Craftsman Bungalow Eaves

Feature: Wide eaves with exposed rafters.

Drip: Extended rafter tails or small crown moldings beneath the eave carried the drip function.

🧱 Materials Historically Used

Stone: Carefully carved drip lines and projections in classical architecture.

Wood: Layered moldings with crown or ogee profiles in early American homes.

Terra cotta or plaster: Used in Beaux-Arts or Italianate buildings with ornate cornices.

Lead or copper flashing: Sometimes added for durability on top of projecting moldings.