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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
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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.
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85:, which was very popular during the height of the
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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
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140:A widow's walk on a home overlooking
220:Elizabeth Pacey and Alvin Comiter,
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224:, Nimbus Publishing (1994), p. 167
16:Railed rooftop platform on a house
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267:The Dictionary of Misinformation
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160:A "widow's watch" on a home in
58:platform often having an inner
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234:"Italianate Architecture",
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162:Saint John, New Brunswick
146:Marblehead, Massachusetts
83:Italianate architecture
34:, one of many homes in
309:Architectural elements
126:Gaithersburg, Maryland
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38:, with widow's walks.
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19:For other uses, see
253:How Buildings Learn
184:Architecture portal
124:A widow's walk in
46:, also known as a
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314:Observation decks
142:Marblehead Harbor
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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
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