Hi guys–

I grew up several blocks away from an ancient Italianate home on Main Street in Blakely, Pa. I always thought the place was haunted. Recently found out that it belonged to a local coal baron called Hull, who had many children and owned half of the town. Now it’s an apartment house. I also work up the street from one that houses a law firm.
I gotta ask though: what is inside that little square thingy at the very top of the house? I’ve seen them with and without windows. Any idea what they were for originally?

Hi,

That’s called a cupola – we can access ours through the closet ceiling in one of the upstairs bedrooms. Ours doesn’t have anything in it, but it does have windows that the previous owners boarded up (probably because of leaks). Hopefully someday we’ll get it opened up again. They come in different sizes – the smaller ones are for aesthetics, ventilation, or sometimes to hold a lantern. The type you can stand up in were for lookout purposes (like a widows walk).

If you want more info, try http://www.cupola.com ;)