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Identifying feature

Bracketed eaves

Brackets, projecting supports often set in pairs, placed at regular intervals under a wide roof overhang. They are the defining feature of Italianate houses of about 1840 to 1885.

a sign of these styles

Osborne House, Isle of Wight, England: an example of Italianate Italianate c. 1840–1885 Low roofs on deep eaves with ornamental brackets, tall round-topped windows with heavy hoods, and square cupolas. Philadelphia City Hall, Philadelphia: an example of Second Empire Second Empire c. 1855–1885 Steep boxy mansard roofs with dormer windows, over heavily bracketed cornices and paired columns.

also seen on

BrownstoneMid-Atlantic Rowhouse

often seen with

Balustrade A railing made of a row of short, shaped posts called balusters, topped by a rail. Keystone The central wedge-shaped stone at the top of an arch, which locks the other stones (voussoirs) in place. Bay window A window projecting from the main wall, usually with three angled sides or a curved front. Cornice A deep, overhanging ledge that caps the top of a facade. Quoins Large corner blocks of stone, or brick or wood imitating stone, laid in alternating long and short lengths. Sash window A window made of one or more glass-filled frames, called sashes, that slide up and down in grooves. Transom window A small window directly above a door, separated from it by a horizontal bar called a transom. Belt course A flat horizontal band of stone or brick running across a facade between floors, also called a stringcourse.