Sunday, May 13, 2012

Jane's Walk: Site 13

The row of five brick town houses on East Court Street is a wonderful study of how buildings evolve. 




The two houses at the right have simple lintels over the windows. The other three have window hoods. The house at the far left has new ornamentation around the door, and the house second from the left has sprouted an oriel over the door. 

Contemplating these five buildings becomes even more intriguing when you hold these two images in your mind: the first shows the buildings in the 1970s; the second shows the buildings when they appear to be the only things on the south side of Hudson east of the courthouse. 

1 comment:

  1. Carole,
    Do you know when the oriel bays were popular in Hudson?They appear here and there around town.They are usually in the small front room
    at top of stair,above entrance to upstairs if storefront or front hall if residential,necessitating the removal of window and enlarging opening from floor to ceiling and width of room.Not a simple project ,as then they are cantilevered and bracketed,from below.
    The craziest one is 2 story one suspended between 447? Warren(lawyers office)twin buildings,that look like the the roof gable was added and second story windows reconfigured.I could be completely wrong but That whole thing looks "modernized"out of 2 buildings and the space in between is the double oriel.
    I was also wondering if the house at 6 East Court was Victorianized?(is that a word ?)
    In the case of West Court St above ,they widened the front door below.

    In a wood building ,it would be a somewhat less complicated ,but with a brick building,some added difficulty would ensue.
    I have old books that are manuals on HOW TO remodel your boring old colonial house,into a"modern Victorian"like
    OLD HOMES
    MADE NEW
    By William M. Woollett, 1878
    that has kits and plans from making your house have a slate Mansard roof or towers ETC.to selling pre-milled gingerbread and other architectural ornamentation ETC.,but I haven't found a source yet of promoting the oriel window, to date them here in Hudson
    Sorry to bombard you with so many questions.
    I am so thoroughly enjoying your "Jane's Walks"
    Thank you

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