What You Need to Know About Gables

A gable is the triangular wall formed by a sloping roof. The roof is not the gable — the wall is the gable down to the roof line, but you generally need a gable roof to have a gable. Its common to name the triangular area made from a gambrel roof a gable, as well. Some definitions even include the end edges of the roof as part of the gable. When discussing gables with your architect or contractor, dont be shy about asking what their definition is. For example, some people call the gable wall as the wall on the gable side right down to the foundation. Others rightly call the gable wall as that part of the siding between the slopes of the roof. In general, the distinguishing feature of the gable is its triangular shape. Origins of the Word Gable Pronouned GAY-bull, the word gable may be derived from the Greek word kephalÄ“ meaning head. Gabel, the German word for a tined fork, seems to be a closer and more recent match to todays definition. One can imagine the impromptu construction projects at the German dining table using utensils to create primitive hut types of buildings — balancing forks, intertwined tines, into tent-like constructions. More Definitions of Gable the triangular portion of a wall defined by the sloping edges of the roof and a horizontal line between the eave line. Can also be a gabled dormer. — John Milnes Baker, AIA 1. The vertical triangular portion of the end of a building having a double-sloping roof, from the level of the cornice or eaves to the ridge of the roof. 2. A similar end when not triangular in shape, as of a gambrel roof or the like. — Dictionary of Architecture and Construction Types of Gables A building with a gable roof may be front-gabled, side-gabled, or cross-gabled. Like the illustration shown here, cross-gabled buildings have gables both on the front and on the side, created by a valley roof. Porches and dormers may be gabled. Gable dormers are actually specialized windows — or windows in gables. A pediment is a specific type of classical gable, less functionally dependent on the roof and more structurally useful atop a series of columns or as decoration above a door or window. Gables can extend above the roof line in fanciful designs or, more often, in parapets. The corbiestep is a parapet that can exaggerate the gable. Photos of gables show the varieties that can be found around the world. Different architectural styles, sizes, and decoration make this primitive architectural element come to life throughout the ages. The side gable is typical of Cape Cod style homes, and the front gable is common in many bungalows. Front and side gables are generally part of the Minimal Traditional style post-Depression homes from the mid-20th century. Katrina Cottages and the Katrina Kernel Cottage II are traditionally front-gabled. High-pitched gables are characteristic of Tudor style homes. Look for architectural details that often define a house style. The 1668 Turner-Ingersoll mansion in Salem, Massachusetts may be the most famous gabled house of all — the setting of Nathaniel Hawthornes 1851 novel The House of the Seven Gables. The Most Famous Gabled House Has Character How often have we driven by a house with two large front gables and felt that the eyes of the home, with raised brows, were inspecting our every move? The American author Nathaniel Hawthorne created such a character in his 19th century novel The House of the Seven Gables. The aspect of the venerable mansion has always affected me like a human countenance, says the books narrator in Chapter 1.  Like a human face? The deep projection of the second story gave the house such a meditative look, that you could not pass it without the idea that it had secrets to keep, and an eventful history to moralize upon. — Chapter 1 Hawthornes book makes us pause at these questions: What gives character to a home — and what architectural details make your home a character? It could be the gables. The house gables in Hawthornes 1851 book seem to interact with the other characters: But, as the sunlight left the peaks of the Seven Gables, so did the excitement fade out of Cliffords eyes. — Chapter 10 There was a vertical sundial on the front gable; and as the carpenter passed beneath it, he looked up and noted the hour. — Chapter 13 Nathaniel Hawthorne skillfully describes the gabled house as a living, breathing entity. The house, with all its gables, not only has character but also is a character in the novel. It breathes and is warmed by its burning (fireplace) heart: The house itself shivered, from every attic of its seven gables down to the great kitchen fireplace, which served all the better as an emblem of the mansions heart, because, though built for warmth, it was now so comfortless and empty. — Chapter 15 The human qualities of Hawthornes house create a haunting image. The gabled dwelling becomes the haunted house of New England storytelling. Can a house style or architectural detail get a reputation — like a person can get a reputation from behaviors? The American author Nathaniel Hawthorne suggests that it can. Nathaniel Hawthornes inspiration for the setting of his famous 1851 novel seems to be his cousins house in Salem, Massachusetts. What we know as The House of the Seven Gables was originally built in 1668 by a sea captain named John Turner. Sources American House Styles: A Concise Guide by John Milnes Baker, AIA, Norton, 1994, p. 173Dictionary of Architecture and Construction, Cyril M. Harris, ed., McGraw-Hill, 1975, p. 223