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Identifying feature

Roof finial

A small upright ornament fixed to the top of a roof peak, gable or spire, often a spike, ball or carved figure. It is common on Gothic Revival and Queen Anne buildings.

a sign of these styles

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia: an example of Southeast Asian Southeast Asian c. 800–present Timber houses on stilts and stone temple mountains, under steep roofs with soaring horn-like gable tips.

also seen on

Caribbean VernacularCarpenter GothicCatalan ModernismeChinese TraditionalDutch RenaissanceHigh Victorian GothicRussian Revival

often seen with

Steep gable The triangular upper part of an end wall, framed by the two slopes of a steep roof. Carved wood ornament Decorative shapes cut into a building's wooden parts, such as brackets (supports under the eaves), porch… Bell tower A tall tower that holds bells or a clock, rising from or beside a church or public building. Belt course A flat horizontal band of stone or brick running across a facade between floors, also called a stringcourse. Carved stone relief Figures or patterns carved into stone so they project from a flat background, called low relief when shallow… Lancet window A tall, narrow window topped by a pointed arch. Pointed arch An arch whose two curved sides meet at a point, called the apex. Round arch An arch shaped as a half circle, often built from wedge-shaped blocks called voussoirs.