Issue Xxv, Spring, 2014

NEWSLETTER Issue XXV Spring, 2014 Of Cupolas, Lanterns, and Ventilators By Eric Gradoia That thing on the roof, is it a cupola, lantern, or ventilator? Well it all depends on what it's doing there. The function of these features largely depended on their design, construction and how they were incorporated into the building itself. To many of us, any small roof feature crowning a gable or ridge and containing louvers or sash is commonly referred to as a cupola. However, this term has become a catch-all to include elements that historically had very definite meanings. Pittstown farmhouse, Longwoods Road, (historic photo undated) (bottom right photo is a view from inside the house of the construction of the cupalo) If you will permit me for a minute to explore the origins of the word cupola, we will find its roots in the Latin, cū"pula little cask, small vault," and Italian, cupo "hollow, concave." Understanding this, its modern definition as, "A rounded vault or dome forming the roof of any building or part of a building," as well as, "A diminutive dome rising above a roof; a dome-like lantern or skylight," makes sense. Even in the first edition of Noah Webster's dictionary (1828), a cupola is defined as, "In architecture, a spherical vault on the top of an edifice; a dome; or the round top of a dome.” While these are all very specific and rather proper, there is little doubt that our 19th century ancestors used the vernacular of this to describe diminutive structures ornamenting the roofs of buildings. In fact, with the rise of Greek Revival and the early picturesque styles of architecture (Gothic Revival, Italianate, Octagons, Second Empire, etc.) by the mid 19th century, various sorts of roof features began to become more fashionable, and as a result, more commonplace.(continued on Page 4) Cupolas of Pittstown Otter Creek Road NYS Route 67, Johnsonville County Route 111 Joslin Lane Corner of Barton Road and Marpe Road Simmons Road, Boyntonville Page 2 Cupolas of Pittstown Auclair Way Corner of Button Rd and Cooksboro Rd Corner of Warren Cemetery Rd and NYS Route 7 Johnsonville, NYS Route 67 Cooksboro Road Page 3 PPPITTSTOWN HHHISTORICAL SSSOCIETY NNNEWSLETTER Issue XXV Spring, 2014 (continued from Page 1) Paralleling these changing attitudes in the style of building was a movement in this country advocating the practice of ventilating structures in order to minimize the effects of "vitiated air.” With the shift away from open fireplaces to the use of stoves and furnaces as a means of heating one’s house, there developed a belief that these types of closed heating apparatuses (versus the open fireplace) spoiled the air during the heating process, thereby producing carbonic oxide, more commonly referred to at the time as vitiated air. The remedy to this foul nuisance was to discharge it from the building, while at the same time allowing fresh outside air into the building; in essence, introducing ventilation into your building. With the emerging popularity of the revival styles in the second quarter of the 19th century, these trends accommodated rooflines with architectural features such as ventilators and lanterns. With respect to ventilators on dwellings, occasionally these were simply included as an architectural embellishment, being more decorative than functional. In some instances, they are there to allow air movement in and/or through the attic. In instances where a ventilator is isolated to solely serving an attic space, their presence may be to draw away the heat in the attic in an effort to make the house cooler. In other cases, a more direct passage of air through the house was allowed for. This could range from grilles and vents located in the walls and ceilings of rooms to simply a door opening to an attic that allowed the passage of air. Whatever the case may be, what was desired was to create a chimney effect that drew cool air into a building at the lower level and exhausted it through the roof of the building. Andrew Jackson Downing, the noted 19th century writer and proponent of the picturesque, was a great advocate of incorporating ventilation into residences of all sizes, both old and new. In The Architecture of Country Houses (1850), Downing, describing a sheet metal ventilator being marketed at the time, went on to explain that, “There is perhaps, but one objection which can be raised to Emerson’s Ventilators…We mean the appearance of the ejector, or exhausting cap which is placed on the roof of the house. This is decidedly unarchitectural and stove-pipe like…We have, however, conceived a very simple means of overcoming this objection…It is nothing more than making the ejector or ventilator top architectural, by placing it in an open cupola, corresponding to the style of the house. In this way, the cupola…may be made as significant and characteristic an ornament of a dwelling house as a chimney top.” This idea of the need for admitting fresh air into a building was not limited to domestic residences, but also, at nearly the same period of time, into barns and outbuildings sheltering livestock. Numerous articles found in agriculturally oriented publications, such as The Cultivator, The American Farmer, The Plough, the Loom, and the Anvil, and similar journals, educated their readers to the problems which may occur as a result of a “tight” barn — one in which little air movement occurs. Many a writer detailed the issues created as a result of housing animals above a manure cellar or finishing the outside of one’s barn in a fashion that eliminated all drafts and/or allowed some degree of air to move though the barn. To combat this, it was recommended that farmers incorporate a simple means of allowing fresh air into their buildings while at the same time providing the foul air a means out. As The American Farmer’s Encyclopedia (1860) noted, “No foul air can by any possibility be extracted from the interior of a building, however well arranged it may be, unless an ample supply of pure air is admitted, because it is the force of the entering air that causes the vitiated to be expelled.” The escape route for this vitiated air largely took the form of a simple louvered ventilator added at the ridge of the roof. In instances where these roof features are fitted with sash all around, they are more properly referred to as a “lantern”. Russell Sturgis, the notable architect and editor of A Dictionary of Architecture and Building (1902) defines a lantern as, "Any structure rising above the roof of a building and having openings in its sides by which the interior of the building is lighted. By extension, such an architectural feature whether serving as a means of lighting the interior or not.” In addition to allowing natural light into a building or space, lanterns with their windows open could also serve in the capacity of a ventilator. As with ventilators, occasionally lanterns are strictly decorative, and do nothing more than enhance the outward appearance of one’s residence. More often than not though, lanterns were incorporated into the overall design of the building and allowed natural light into the building. A popular use of a lantern was to light a center stair hall. As these features were commonly located at the center of a ridge line, this Page 4 PPPITTSTOWN HHHISTORICAL SSSOCIETY NNNEWSLETTER Issue XXV Spring, 2014 placement corresponded readily with a center stair. As stair halls tended to be open by nature, and passed through each floor of a building, the incorporation of a lantern was a practical method of allowing natural light into the building, and air to circulate through it. So the next time you travel the back roads of Pittstown, and the area, past barns, farms, and houses, I ask you now, that thing on the roof, is it a cupola, lantern or ventilator? Pittstown Historical Society News Update Earliest records of the Pittstown government are now transcribed and digitalized! The Town of Pittstown has been holding in its vaults the earliest extant records of Pittstown’s government. The first of two historic records books begins in 1783 and continues through 1799, with some brief additions in later years. The second book spans from 1799 to 1840. Because these records are so difficult to read, their importance has been underappreciated. We are very pleased to report that the earliest ledger has now been transcribed and indexed. Sara Yetto, a freshman at Bennington College, volunteered to spend her Field Work Term in January and February scanning, transcribing and digitalizing this historic ledger. We cannot thank her enough for her work!! The contents of the earliest ledger are as follows: Record of Town Officers (1783 – 1798): The first section lists town officers by year: Supervisor, Town Clerk, Assessors, Poor Masters, Commissioners of Highway, Constables, Collectors, Fence Viewers and Overseers of Highway. From 1783 – 1788, the information is titled as being “Records of Scaghticoke District”, during which time Pittstown was included in the district of Schagticoke. From 1789 on, the pages are titled “District of Pittstown”. Record of Roads (1783 – 1799): The second section lists the new roads that were described and approved by the highway commissioners. These are of particular interest as they list property owners and their neighbors. Record of Marks and Brands (1784 - 1824): The third section lists the marks and brands for livestock that were registered with the town clerk. After 1798, very few marks were listed. Fence Line Disputes and Fines (1845 – 1873): The fourth section records some fence line disputes and fines paid.

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