Gothic Revival Mansard Roof Style

The style is characterized by strong picturesque massing rounded arches short columns solid masonry stone work hipped roofs with gables although mansard roofs and front gabled roof were more typically used in townhouses decorative windows clustered in groups of three or more and sunken doorways with arched tops small columns and decorative trims.

Gothic revival mansard roof style.

As a result second empire homes in the united states are often composites of italianate gothic revival and other styles. Trendy and practical mansard roofs were placed atop otherwise modest structures. A mansard roof is a hipped roof with two slopes the lower being very steeply pitched and the upper being almost flat. Houses in a variety of styles were given the characteristic second empire feature.

There are several variations of the slope some being straight while others being flared concave convex more rarely curved s and ogee patterns but whatever shape they take the mansard makes the style. 1 1840 1880 2 common forms are side gabled with prominent central cross gable and asymmetrical l shaped plan steeply pitched roofs usually with steep cross gables and deeply overhanging eaves gables commonly decorated with barge boards or verge boards particularly in carpenter gothic examples 3 open cornices and exposed.