|
Pyramidal Roof
Identifiable by its roof
shape, the pyramidal-roof house is a one-story building commonly of frame
construction. Its square-plan allows for a simple, informal arrangement of
rooms. The exterior of the pyramidal-roof house is generally plain, although
additions such as
ells, porches and corner towers and applied ornamentation
lend variety to some examples. Door and window placement varies according to
the interior arrangement of rooms. Chimneys are centrally located within the
house usually appearing at the apex of the steeply pitched roof.
The origins of the pyramidal-roof house are
not clear but have been attributed to Southern building traditions. It
appeared in the late-nineteenth century and remained popular into the early
decades of the twentieth century. Some pyramidal-roof houses in the lower
Mississippi Valley may have developed out of French colonial house types;
however, in the Ohio River Valley, the folk derivation of the pyramidal-roof
is less certain. What is clear is that it was a popular house type in many
industrial areas where it was often mass-produced as inexpensive worker's
housing.
Pyramidal roof: House (c.1900), 1260 Josephine Street
Pyramidal roof: House
(c.1900), 810 East Morgan Street
Note that the chimney, which originally emerged from the roof peak, has
been removed.
Pyramidal roof: Egbert Carriage House (c.1910), behind 659 East Washington
Street
|
