Design Guidelines for the West Chester Historic District, Borough of West Chester, Pennsylvania

appendixES

A. Glossary of Architectural Terms
B. The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation
C. West Chester Zoning Code: Historic District
D. West Chester Zoning Code: Sign Regulations
E. Bibliography

A. GLOSSARY OF ARCHITECTURAL TERMS

a
architrave. 1) The lowest horizontal element of a classical entablature; 2) The ornamental moldings (trim) around windows, doors, and other wall openings.

asymmetrical. Not symmetrical

b
baluster. A shaped, short vertical member, often circular in section, supporting a railing or capping.

balustrade. An assembly consisting of a railing or capping supported by a series of balusters.

bay. A regularly repeated main division of a building design. A building whose facade is five windows wide may be described as a five-bay building.

bay window. A window structure projecting beyond the main wall plane; if attached to the building above ground level, properly called an oriel.

blind. A louvered shutter that excludes vision and direct sunlight, but not indirect light and air, from a house.

bond. The setting pattern of bricks or stones, such as common bond, Flemish bond, etc.

bracket. A projecting support placed under an architectural overhang such as a cornice; often ornate.

c
capital. The top member (cap) of a column.

casement sash, casement window. A window sash which is side-hinged; a window having casement sashes.

casing. The exposed architectural trim or lining around a wall opening.

clapboards. Narrow boards applied horizontally to an exterior wall, each of which overlaps the one below it to create a continuous skin over the wooden frame.

classical. 1) Decorative elements deriving directly or indirectly from the architectural vocabulary of ancient Greece and Rome; 2) architectural harmony based on the principles of ancient Greek and Roman architecture.

column. A long vertical structural member that supports a load; in classical terms, a cylindrical support having a base, shaft, and capital. (Note: In the Doric order the column has no base.)

cornice. Strictly, the upper projecting part of an entablature; in carpenter/builder terminology, any projected molding (“crown molding”) which crowns or finishes a horizontal fascia; the exterior assembly which closes the joint between the wall and roof of a building.

d
Doric. One of the five classical orders, column usually without a base and with a simple capital.

dormer. A roofed structure with a vertical window that projects from a pitched roof.

double-hung sash window. A window with two vertical sliding sashes, each closing half of the window opening.

e
eave. The lower part of a roof that projects beyond the wall.

elevation. The perpendicular view of a side of a building; an accurate drawing of one side of a building that represents its true dimensions in the plane perpendicular to the line of sight.

ell. A wing or addition extended at a right angle from the principal dimension of building, resulting in an “L” shaped plan,

entablature. The horizontal member carried by columns, composed of architrave (bottom), frieze, and cornice (top).

f
facade. The exterior front face of a building; usually the most ornate or articulated elevation.

fanlight. A half-circular or half-elliptical window; often placed over a door.

fascia. Any long, flat horizontal band or member.

fenestration. The arrangement and design of window and door openings in a building.

French door. A door with a top and bottom rail, stiles (sides), and glass panes throughout most of its length.

frontispiece. An ornamental portal or entrance bay around a main door.

g
gable. The vertical triangular shape of a building wall above the cornice height, formed by two sloping roof planes.

h
header. In brick masonry, a brick laid so that its end is exposed in the finished wall surface.

hip. The external angle at the intersection of two roof planes; a hip roof has roof planes that slope toward the eaves on all sides of the building.

hood. A projecting cover placed over an opening to shelter it.

i
in kind. Replacement building component matching the original component in material, size, profile, texture,and color.

l
light. A pane of glass installed in a window sash.

lintel. A horizontal structural member that spans an opening, for example a window lintel.

m
Mansart. A roof that is double pitched, the lower being much steeper, designed to allow a full story height within the attic space.

mass. Bulk or three-dimensional size of an object.

massing. The combination of several masses to create a building volume; organization of the shape of a building, as differentiated from wall treatment, fenestration, etc.

mullion. A vertical member separating windows, doors, or panels set in series; often used for structural purposes.

muntin. A slender member separating and encasing panes of glass in a window sash.

o
order. In classical architecture, a column with base (usually) shaft, capital, and entablature, embellished and proportioned according to one of the accepted styles - Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite.

oriel. A window structure projecting beyond the main wall plane attached to the building above ground level.

p
Palladian window. A three-part window consisting of a prominent center window unit, often arched, flanked by smaller windows.

pane. A flat sheet of glass cut to size for glazing use in a window; also called a light.

parapet. A low guarding wall at the edge of a roof or balcony; the portion of a fire wall or party wall above the roof level.

parge. A coating of cement-based mortar (stucco) applied over rough masonry work.

pediment. In classical architecture, the triangular gable end of a roof above a horizontal cornice; a similar triangular form over a door or window.

pergola. A garden structure with an open wood-framed roof, often latticed.

picket fence. A fence formed by a series of vertical pales, posts, or stakes and joined together by horizontal rails.

pilaster. A flat vertical element applied to the wall surface that simulates a classical column.

pitch, roof. The slope of a roof; usually expressed as a ratio of vertical rise to horizontal run (inches vertical in 12 inches horizontal).

plan. A two-dimensional view of a building, or horizontal section of it, seen from above; hence, a precise drawing showing the arrangement of design, including wall openings and dimensions.

porch. A structure attached to a building to shelter an entrance or to serve as a semi-enclosed space, usually roofed and generally open-sided.

proportion. The relation of one dimension to another; usually described as a numerical ratio; in architecture, proportions determine the creation of visual order through coordination of shapes in a design.

q
quoin. A masonry (or simulated masonry) unit applied to the corner of a building; often slightly projecting.

r
rhythm. In architecture, the repeated pattern of building elements such as doors and windows.

ridge, ridge line. The horizontal line formed by the juncture of the upper edges of two sloping roof planes.

s
sash. The movable framework holding the glass in a window.

segmental arch. An arch in which the arched portion is less than a semi-circle.

shed roof. A single-pitched roof over a small room; often attached to a main structure.

shutter. An external movable screen or door used to cover a wall opening, especially a window; originally for security purposes; often confused with louvered blinds.

sidelight. A framed area of fixed glass alongside a door or window opening.

sill. The horizontal lower member of a window or other frame.

single pile. A floor plan that is one room deep.

site plan. An accurate scaled drawing of a site (lot) as if seen from above, describing the property boundary and orientation, the location of buildings, driveways, walks and other constructed site improvements, the retained vegetation, and new plantings and finished grade contours.

skylight. A glazed opening in a roof plane that admits light.

stoop. An uncovered platform and steps at an entrance.

streetscape. A setting or expanse consisting of the street, landscaping, and buildings along a street, as seen by the eye in one view.

stretcher. A brick laid with the long side visible in the finished work.

string course. A horizontal course of masonry or wood trim which projects from a wall.

symmetrical. A similarity of form or arrangement on either side of a dividing line.

t
transom. A horizontal bar of wood or stone separating a door from a transom window above it.

v
vernacular. A mode of building based on regional forms and materials.

w
water table. A horizontal course of masonry or wood trim separating the foundation walls from the exterior walls above.

(Glossary definitions are in part based on Historic Architecture Sourcebook by Cyril M. Harris, Ed., New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1977.)

B. THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR’S STANDARDS FOR REHABILITATION

The following Standards are to be applied to specific rehabilitation projects in a reasonable manner, taking into consideration economic and technical feasibility.

1. A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment.

2. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historical materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided.

3. Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken.

4. Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved.

5. Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a historic property shall be preserved.

6. Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical, or pictorial evidence.

7. Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible.

8. Significant archaeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures shall be undertaken.

9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment.

10. New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.