Fact of the day....Who can deny the romance and nostalgia associated with the legend of the widow’s walk? Unfortunately, the legend has no basis in fact and is, in truth, only a sentiment-laden myth. The actual facts concerning widow’s walks are far more conventional...In a day when houses were primarily heated by wood, widow’s walks provided access to the roof, and more important, to the chimney. Consider this. In days past, homeowners kept leather buckets filled with sand, near the hearth. These were to use in the event of a chimney fire. Sometimes the buckets held water, too. In either case, the buckets were taken to the widow’s walk where the contents were poured down the chimney in order to douse the fire....Anyone who has ever tried to put a ladder to the roof of a two-story (widow’s walks were built primarily on two-story, or taller, structures) building in winter knows that snow and ice make it a formidable, if not nearly impossible, task. Even after setting up and firmly grounding the ladder, climbing such heights in freezing weather presents a real, element of danger. Widow’s walks, accessible from inside the house, provide a safe and efficient solution to this problem..... This top-opening feature has considerable value in summer, too. In the days prior to electric fans or air-conditioning, houses became hot, stuffy and practically uninhabitable in hot, humid weather. Again, opening the widow’s walk to the elements provided much-needed, air circulation. Sorry if I busted any old romantic myths.... I try to research as much as I can before I post.. And I welcome any input that you good folks may have...
Posted on: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 13:28:30 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015