🔍 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.