01 June 2020

Turret windows


Found this photo today at Shorpy (where you can click their image to explore the supermega-sized version).

I have always loved windows that protrude from a building's side.  Before my mother's dementia necessitated assisted living, she resided in a senior citizen apartment unit that was graced with what apparently is called an oriel window*.  She  parked a swivel comfy chair there and spent a decade working her cryptograms and reading while enjoying views of the trees and gardens below.

Here's the info from Shorpy:
Circa 1906. "The Olbiston, Genesee Street, Utica, N.Y." Offering a mix of "bachelor and family apartments," the fireproof Olbiston, completed around 1900, still stands.
*I've probably garbled the definitions in this post and will defer to well-informed readers when they (hopefully) provide the correct terminology.  From what I read here, a "bay window" rises from the foundation for one or two stories, while the oriel does not reach the ground.  The building above would probably be displaying "turrets."

4 comments:

  1. The address is 1431 Genesee Street - worth a looksee on GoogleEarth Streetview. It was apparently an upscale apartment building when first built, but has fallen on hard times.It's probably available for free if anyone has several million dollars to spare to fix it up.

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    1. Interesting that the construction at the time required such massive stone blocks that the turret windows wind up being rather narrow (by modern standards). And on Google Streetview, a lot of the side windows are occluded by air conditioning units.

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  2. I live a couple hours from Utica. not a common destination for me, though I do skirt by from time to time. seems this building is going to need assistance to survive much further into its 2nd century. clearly identifiable facade is seen in this article and embedded clip. As are the unfortunate interior conditions in summer 2019. https://www.uticaod.com/news/20190622/uncertainty-surrounds-olbiston

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    1. Thank you for providing that link. It's a sad fate for that building (and its residents).

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