Gables survive years of change

The type of pediment can help to determine a home’s architectural style.

WASHINGTON POST

In classical architecture, a pediment is a low-pitched triangular gable on the front of a building.

The motif has survived through the ages, though in forms that have sometimes deviated wildly from that handed down by the ancient Greeks. In most cases, the pediment has evolved from a structural piece to one that’s more often purely decorative, showing up above windows as well as doors.

The grandest ones are on public buildings, such as the U.S. Supreme Court, and private mansions. But toned-down iterations frequently appear in modest American homes as well.

Variations in pediments can helpful in identify a house’s general style, if not its precise vintage.

It’s in the Early Classical Revival and Greek Revival homes that you are most likely to find something closest to the simple, ancient Greek form. Look for a closed triangle over the door, sometimes with a small semi-circular window called a lunette, in the center.

In Georgian houses, the pediment is most likely to be triangular or segmental, or partially rounded. Rarely, it will be “broken,” or open at the top.

In Adam homes, a style that dates to the 18th century, pediments are often open along the base to make way for the fanlights that are a key feature of the style.

Pediments can be plain, or they can feature intricate sculptural details.

These distinctions make pediments an important focus for people maintaining or restoring the facades of historic homes. Change the pediments and you can dramatically alter the mood of a building.

Architectural curators at the Hammond-Harwood House in Annapolis, Md., for example, have taken particular care to preserve the detail in the pediments at the house, including the elaborate one over the main entrance. “You couldn’t take the pediment away without destroying the design,” said Carter Lively, executive director of the nonprofit that owns the house.

Pediments are popular, but they can be tricky to incorporate into newer homes, said Steve Hendricks, owner of Historic Doors, a Pennsylvania company that specializes in woodworking for historic restoration and new construction.

One of the most common mistakes he sees is the proportions of the pediment and how they relate to the classical orders of the columns. “There is a precedent for these things if you’re trying to be true to a style,” he said.

Jackie Craven, About.com’s architecture guide, concurs: “You could really make a house ugly by just tacking on pediments.”

Her pediment peeve: Remodeled porches with pediments that don’t echo anything on the main shape of the house, or that don’t match its other architectural details. “If you’re remodeling, the guideline is to keep the level of detail consistent with the rest of the house,” she said.

But when a pediment is incorporated thoughtfully, the result can be striking, Craven said. “A well-proportioned porch with a well-proportioned pediment does give a house an air of dignity.”