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Widow's walk

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27: 119: 135: 178: 155: 78:. In other coastal communities, the platforms were called captain's walks, as they topped the homes of the more successful captains; supposedly, ship owners and captains would use them to search the horizon for ships due in port. 154: 81:
However, there is little or no evidence that widow's walks were intended or regularly used to observe shipping. Widow's walks are in fact a standard decorative feature of
134: 31: 118: 20: 308: 97:, was an important ornate finish to this style, although it was often high maintenance and prone to leaks. 74:, who would watch for their spouses' return, often in vain as the ocean took their lives, leaving the women 233: 313: 104:
of the residence, thus creating access to the structure. This allows the residents of the home to pour
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frequently found on 19th-century North American coastal houses. The name is said to come from the
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in many North American coastal communities. The widow's walk is a variation of the Italianate
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Beyond their use as viewing platforms, they are frequently built around the
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in the hope of preventing the house from burning down.
173: 85:, which was very popular during the height of the 295: 280:Widow's Walk: Sailor's Friend, or Fire Station? 222:Landmarks: Historic Buildings of Nova Scotia 282:" National Public Radio, October 9, 1984. 108:down burning chimneys in the event of a 25: 296: 140:A widow's walk on a home overlooking 220:Elizabeth Pacey and Alvin Comiter, 13: 224:, Nimbus Publishing (1994), p. 167 16:Railed rooftop platform on a house 14: 330: 289: 267:The Dictionary of Misinformation 176: 153: 133: 117: 160:A "widow's watch" on a home in 58:platform often having an inner 272: 259: 241: 227: 214: 1: 207: 7: 234:"Italianate Architecture", 169: 10: 335: 269:; Thomas Y. Crowell, 1975. 256:Viking Press (1994) p. 124 18: 162:Saint John, New Brunswick 146:Marblehead, Massachusetts 83:Italianate architecture 34:, one of many homes in 309:Architectural elements 126:Gaithersburg, Maryland 39: 38:, with widow's walks. 29: 19:For other uses, see 253:How Buildings Learn 184:Architecture portal 124:A widow's walk in 46:, also known as a 40: 314:Observation decks 142:Marblehead Harbor 326: 283: 276: 270: 263: 257: 245: 239: 236:Humanities Index 231: 225: 218: 186: 181: 180: 157: 137: 121: 36:Galveston, Texas 32:Julius Ruhl Home 334: 333: 329: 328: 327: 325: 324: 323: 294: 293: 292: 287: 286: 277: 273: 264: 260: 246: 242: 232: 228: 219: 215: 210: 182: 175: 172: 165: 158: 149: 138: 129: 122: 24: 17: 12: 11: 5: 332: 322: 321: 316: 311: 306: 291: 290:External links 288: 285: 284: 278:John Ciardi, " 271: 258: 240: 226: 212: 211: 209: 206: 205: 204: 199: 194: 188: 187: 171: 168: 167: 166: 159: 152: 150: 139: 132: 130: 123: 116: 54:, is a railed 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 331: 320: 317: 315: 312: 310: 307: 305: 302: 301: 299: 281: 275: 268: 265:Tom Burnham, 262: 255: 254: 249: 248:Stewart Brand 244: 238: 237: 230: 223: 217: 213: 203: 200: 198: 195: 193: 190: 189: 185: 179: 174: 163: 156: 151: 147: 143: 136: 131: 127: 120: 115: 114: 113: 111: 107: 103: 98: 96: 92: 88: 84: 79: 77: 73: 69: 65: 61: 57: 53: 49: 48:widow's watch 45: 37: 33: 28: 22: 274: 266: 261: 251: 243: 235: 229: 221: 216: 110:chimney fire 99: 80: 51: 47: 44:widow's walk 43: 41: 21:Widow's Walk 87:Age of Sail 298:Categories 208:References 319:Widowhood 197:Bird hide 192:Belvedere 95:belvedere 170:See also 72:mariners 52:roofwalk 102:chimney 56:rooftop 202:Gazebo 91:cupola 76:widows 64:turret 60:cupola 304:Roofs 68:wives 106:sand 30:The 144:in 70:of 50:or 300:: 250:, 42:A 148:. 128:. 62:/ 23:.

Index

Widow's Walk

Julius Ruhl Home
Galveston, Texas
rooftop
cupola
turret
wives
mariners
widows
Italianate architecture
Age of Sail
cupola
belvedere
chimney
sand
chimney fire
The roof of a house with a widow's walk on top, consisting of a small room surrounded by railing
Gaithersburg, Maryland
A widow's walk on a home overlooking Marblehead Harbor in Marblehead, Massachusetts.
Marblehead Harbor
Marblehead, Massachusetts
A "widow's watch" on a home in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Unlike examples in warmer climates, this one is enclosed.
Saint John, New Brunswick
icon
Architecture portal
Belvedere
Bird hide
Gazebo
"Italianate Architecture", Humanities Index

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