Character Defining Materials ~ I was in Groton, Massachusetts, the other day and saw this nice Second Empire style house. The treatment of the bay window at the second story bulkhead was so unusual that my first thought was that it must be some strange installation of vinyl or aluminum siding. It wasn’t that but it was a new one for me.
Once I got closer and then zoomed in with my camera, it became clear that I was seeing a 19th century detail I had never seen before. It is an upside-down wood cove molding stacked six-high from the top of the first story window trim to the sill of the second story windows. To the modern eye, it has the appearance of louvers on industrial machinery. It is repeated on the bay window around the corner of the house.
As an architectural historian, finding something new (to me) like this is exciting. I’ll be looking for mention of this in period publications or illustrations. Often, these unusual features were the creation of a particular carpenter and appear only where they and those they trained worked.
Preserving character-defining features and materials, especially unusual ones, should be a priority when planning a rehab project.
This topic is covered in depth in “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners.”
Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available from the author in our online shop at YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
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© Scott T. Hanson 2025.
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