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Identifying feature

Belt course

A flat horizontal band of stone or brick running across a facade between floors, also called a stringcourse. It often marks where the base of a building ends and the upper floors begin.

a sign of these styles

Westminster Cathedral, London, England: an example of Byzantine Revival Byzantine Revival c. 1840–1930 Central domes on round-arched churches, red brick banded with white stone, bell towers, and mosaics, built after 1840. Palais Ephrussi, Vienna, Austria: an example of Gründerzeit Gründerzeit c. 1870–1914 Four- to six-story stucco apartment blocks with shops below, pedimented windows and heavy cornices, built around courtyards.

also seen on

Amsterdam SchoolBrick GothicBrownstoneChicago BungalowCzech CubismHigh Victorian GothicRussian Revival

often seen with

Bell tower A tall tower that holds bells or a clock, rising from or beside a church or public building. Bay window A window projecting from the main wall, usually with three angled sides or a curved front. Round arch An arch shaped as a half circle, often built from wedge-shaped blocks called voussoirs. Spire A tall, tapering structure in the form of a cone or narrow pyramid, built on top of a tower or roof. Steep gable The triangular upper part of an end wall, framed by the two slopes of a steep roof. Balustrade A railing made of a row of short, shaped posts called balusters, topped by a rail. Cornice A deep, overhanging ledge that caps the top of a facade. Dome A rounded roof shaped as half a sphere, often raised on a drum (a circular wall).