Of Cupolas & Domes, Towers & Turrets
The dome of the Helb mansion carriage house has been in the news lately, featured in a York Daily Record article as well as a York Town Square post by Jim McClure. Furthermore, my last Windows into York post made mention of a cupola. There are many architectural terms dealing with rooftop structures or architectural elements that define a roofline: dome, cupola, belfry, belvedere, spire, steeple, gazebo, tower, turret dormer, parapet…. Well, the list is somewhat extensive. So how do you know what is what?
Here’s a short primer:
Belfry – A rooftop structure, or portion of a tower or turret, in which bells are hung.
Belvedere – A rooftop structure, or top level of a tower, accessible by stairs or ladder and from which one can look out. A belvedere has a roof and is open on one or more sides. The term means “beautiful view.”
This view depicts a variety of roof-defining structures. To the left of the image is the Second York County Court House, with cupola. The large building in the center, known as the Hartman Building, is crowned by a lantern. And the Christ Lutheran Church steeple to the right is actually a tower topped by a cupola topped by a spire.
Cupola – Cupola means “small cup” and is an architectural feature that resembles a small cup turned upside down. A cupola frequently crowns a roof, dome, or turret. In common usage, cupola is used today to refer to round, square, open, closed, occupied, and unoccupied structures.
Dome – A circular or spherical rooftop structure, though a spherical ceiling is also known as a dome. As an architectural feature, domes come in all sizes and shapes: onion domes, bell domes, saucer domes, etc. Sometimes, “dome” can refer to a cathedral: the Florence Cathedral in Italy is known as the Duomo.
Dormer – A structure projecting from a roof, usually containing a window.
Gazebo – While we often think of a gazebo as being a garden structure, a gazebo is also an ornamental rooftop structure open on all sides.
Lantern – A small structure, either open or with windows, crowning a roof. While it can be decorative, the primary function is to assist with ventilation or provide natural lighting.
Parapet – A low wall along the edge of a roof. Parapets were built originally to protect soldiers, but today are mostly decorative.
Spire – A decorative element atop a roof, tower or steeple. It is typically narrow, tapered, and/or pointed.
Steeple – A tall structure frequently topped by a spire. In general usage, any tower attached to a church is referred to as a steeple.
Tower – A structure of great height when compared with its horizontal dimensions. It may be attached to a building or stand alone, and is typically taller than the structures around it. A tower may have a roof or be open on the top level.
Turret – A tower-like structure attached to a larger building and beginning above the ground level. Turrets are often ornamental and cylindrical in shape and typically have roofs.
Widow’s Walk – Also known as a captain’s walk, a widow’s walk is a flat roof deck or elevated platform, enclosed by a railing, from which one can look out. Widow’s walks are often found on truncated roofs (think of a sloped roof that stops abruptly and becomes flat). In legend, the wives of seafaring men would await their return while standing on the roof; alas, sometimes the men didn’t return, leaving widows standing alone.
