Cross Gabled Roof
A cross gabled roof has additional sections or wings crossing perpendicular to the main section, meeting in a valley, each with its own peaked or gabled facade. A normal gabled house is a simple rectangle, and a cross gable roof allows a more complex shape and therefore a more complex layout.
Often, the main part of a house will have a gabled roof while the cross gabled roof on the extended portion will be lower than the main part. An example of this type of architecture is the Gothic Revival style that was popular in the United States between 1855 and 1870. Characterized by an overall picturesque cottage appearance, this style home was built with a steeply pitched (gabled) roof with at least one cross gable.
Other types of architecture that were characterized in part by their cross gabled roofs include Stick (circa 1870-1890), in which the style’s typical decorative trusses are typical found; and the Tudor revival (circa 1920-1940) which is characterized by a steeply pitched end or cross gable roof.
Shingle and Bungalow styled homes also often have cross gabled roofs. Some architectural forms, particularly the Bungalow and Shingle styles expose the cross gabling trusses and beams. This became a trend in many types of contemporary architecture to provide a rustic flavor to the architecture that also gave rooms a lofty or voluminous style.
Cross gabling provides for wings to be added to homes as they become needed or affordable. Built in 1668 for the merchant, Capt. John Turner, the House of Seven Gables, located in Salem, Massachusetts is a good example of this practice. The house presently has eight gables.
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