Glossary

The following terms will be found in this Cobblestone Info Base documentation where detailed definitions or explanations are provided to improve our understanding. Since information detailing some of the terms will be technical or complex, and not well suited to be defined in a sentence or two, there are links to detailed information.

    Architectural Terms
    Corner Structures
    Quoins
    No corner structures
    Pilasters
    Lintels
    Mortar
    Hexagonal mortar
    Scored mortar
    White particles in mortar
    Stones
    Stone Placement
    Vertical Stones

Architectural Terms
      Revised drawing of Hen-13 Otis-Hempelmann House from "Cobblestone Masonry", 1966, Carl Schmidt, Page 266

* Centered near the peak of a Gable Wall there can be a variety of architectural features. The structure feature depicted in this drawing is a date stone.

A more typical cobblestone feature is a lunette - A crescent-shaped or semicircular area or opening on a wall surface ¹; basically, an arched aperture or window. A common term used in cobblestone literature is fanlight; however, the term can be misleading, defined as "A window, often semicircular, over a door, in Georgian and Regency buildings, with radiating glazing bars suggesting a fan." ²

An accurate description is either a semi-circular gable window, gable vent or semi-elliptical gable vent. As a vent it may be functional, or non-functional being solid. Essentially the terminology used depends on whether the assembly is functional as a window or vent, or is a solid, non-functional, decorative feature having the appearance of either. Note that there are instances of a triangular shaped feature.

A revision by the New York's State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) of the term "fanlight" in a National Register nomination document: "The facade is particularly distinguished by a large and elegant decorative fan that occupies the space under the gable. The half-ellipse is composed of a carved sandstone arch with keystone surrounding a gouged fluted wooden fan." ³

¹ Curbed New York, A Glossary of Common Architectural Features and Terms, by Jeremiah Budin.
² Penguin Dictionary of Architecture, 1919-1991.
³ Erin Anheier.

Editor's Note: An acknowledgement of thanks to Cynthia Howk; Christopher Brandt - Project Architect, Bero Architecture PLLC, Rochester, NY; and Erin Anheier for the detailed information they provided when assistance was requested to define the appropriate architectural terminology for the Gable Wall features.

Examples

Hop-2 2607 Rt 488 1
Hop-2 2607 Rt 488 1.jpg ¹
IMG_0932
IMG_0932.jpg ²
IMG_1145
IMG_1145.jpg ²
Phe-7 782 West Townline (Seneca County Line) Rd 4
Phe-7 782 West Townline (Seneca County Line) Rd 4.jpg ³
Wil_2_2
Wil_2_2.jpg 4
6405 Salmon Creek Road 2
6405 Salmon Creek Road 2.jpg ²
Wil-15 5149 Middle Rd 2
Wil-15 5149 Middle Rd 2.jpg ³
Sod-14 6211 Rt 88 1
Sod-14 6211 Rt 88 1.jpg ²

Click on the file name under the photograph to view the image full size on a new window.

¹ Image courtesy Cobblestone Museum.
² Image courtesy Richard Palmer.
³ Photography courtesy Martin and Sheila Wolfish.
4 Photography courtesy Robert L. Roudabush