J. Leonard Lackman House
Encyclopedia
The J. Leonard Lackman House is located on Imperial Avenue in Cohoes
, New York
, United States
. Lackman was a local gunsmith
and locksmith. His descendants still own and reside in the house as of 2009.
It was built in the late 19th century in the then-popular Queen Anne
architectural style
. In 1998 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
.
wood frame dwelling on a stone
foundation
. The first story is sided in clapboard
; the second in imbricate shingle
, flaring out at the floor line slightly. Both are currently painted different colors. The roof is steeply pitched and gable
d.
The mass of the house is broken up on every side in different ways, most noticeably at the front. The facade
there, facing the street to the west, features the entrance's double wooden doors inside an enclosed porch
on the north bay. It in turn has a pediment
ed roof. Above it rises a small turret
with a window in the chamfer
ed north and west and column
s that rise to support a steep conical spire
let. To the south of the porch is a large, projecting bay window
. This is topped with an overhanging bay on the second story and then the overhanging gabled dormer above it, bracketed by carved swags
.
On the north, the profile is broken by a projecting bay as well, on both stories, supporting another gable with carved swag brackets
. A nearby stair bay is lit by a round-topped stained glass
window. The south elevation features an enclosed brick porch with corbel
ed columns supporting a frieze
at the flared roofline. Another porch, this time wooden, is on the east (rear) facade, which offers a view over downtown Cohoes
and the Hudson River
.
The interior has seen little change. Many of its decorative features survive, such as the wall plaster, door surrounds, architrave
s, patterned metal ceilings and mantel
s. The entry hall, its newel
-posted stairway lit by the stained-glass window on the north profile, has an inlaid parquet floor, delicate fireplace
and mantel.
Cohoes, New York
Cohoes is an incorporated city located at the northeast corner of Albany County in the US state of New York. It is called the "Spindle City" because of the importance of textile production to its growth. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 16,168...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Lackman was a local gunsmith
Gunsmith
A gunsmith is a person who repairs, modifies, designs, or builds firearms. This occupation is different from an armorer. The armorer primarily maintains weapons and limited repairs involving parts replacement and possibly work involving accurization...
and locksmith. His descendants still own and reside in the house as of 2009.
It was built in the late 19th century in the then-popular Queen Anne
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
architectural style
Architectural style
Architectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
. In 1998 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Building
The house is a two-story, two-bayBay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
wood frame dwelling on a stone
Stonemasonry
The craft of stonemasonry has existed since the dawn of civilization - creating buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone from the earth. These materials have been used to construct many of the long-lasting, ancient monuments, artifacts, cathedrals, and cities in a wide variety of cultures...
foundation
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
. The first story is sided in clapboard
Clapboard (architecture)
Clapboard, also known as bevel siding or lap siding or weather-board , is a board used typically for exterior horizontal siding that has one edge thicker than the other and where the board above laps over the one below...
; the second in imbricate shingle
Shingle Style architecture
The Shingle style is an American architectural style made popular by the rise of the New England school of architecture, which eschewed the highly ornamented patterns of the Eastlake style in Queen Anne architecture....
, flaring out at the floor line slightly. Both are currently painted different colors. The roof is steeply pitched and gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d.
The mass of the house is broken up on every side in different ways, most noticeably at the front. The facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
there, facing the street to the west, features the entrance's double wooden doors inside an enclosed porch
Porch
A porch is external to the walls of the main building proper, but may be enclosed by screen, latticework, broad windows, or other light frame walls extending from the main structure.There are various styles of porches, all of which depend on the architectural tradition of its location...
on the north bay. It in turn has a pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
ed roof. Above it rises a small turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
with a window in the chamfer
Chamfer
A chamfer is a beveled edge connecting two surfaces. If the surfaces are at right angles, the chamfer will typically be symmetrical at 45 degrees. A fillet is the rounding off of an interior corner. A rounding of an exterior corner is called a "round" or a "radius"."Chamfer" is a term commonly...
ed north and west and column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s that rise to support a steep conical spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
let. To the south of the porch is a large, projecting bay window
Bay window
A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room, either square or polygonal in plan. The angles most commonly used on the inside corners of the bay are 90, 135 and 150 degrees. Bay windows are often associated with Victorian architecture...
. This is topped with an overhanging bay on the second story and then the overhanging gabled dormer above it, bracketed by carved swags
Window valance
A window valance is a form of window treatment that covers the uppermost part of the window and can be hung alone or paired with window blinds, or curtains. Valances are a popular decorative choice in concealing drapery hardware. Window valances were popular in Victorian interior design...
.
On the north, the profile is broken by a projecting bay as well, on both stories, supporting another gable with carved swag brackets
Bracket (architecture)
A bracket is an architectural member made of wood, stone, or metal that overhangs a wall to support or carry weight. It may also support a statue, the spring of an arch, a beam, or a shelf. Brackets are often in the form of scrolls, and can be carved, cast, or molded. They can be entirely...
. A nearby stair bay is lit by a round-topped stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
window. The south elevation features an enclosed brick porch with corbel
Corbel
In architecture a corbel is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a "tassel" or a "bragger". The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels deeply keyed inside a wall support a projecting wall or...
ed columns supporting a frieze
Frieze
thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...
at the flared roofline. Another porch, this time wooden, is on the east (rear) facade, which offers a view over downtown Cohoes
Downtown Cohoes Historic District
The Downtown Cohoes Historic District takes up of the city of Cohoes, New York, United States. Many of the 165 contributing properties date from the 1820-1930 period when the Erie Canal and Harmony Mills were the mainstay of the city's economy. It was recognized as a historic district and added to...
and the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
.
The interior has seen little change. Many of its decorative features survive, such as the wall plaster, door surrounds, architrave
Architrave
An architrave is the lintel or beam that rests on the capitals of the columns. It is an architectural element in Classical architecture.-Classical architecture:...
s, patterned metal ceilings and mantel
Mantel
Mantel is a municipality in the district of Neustadt in Bavaria in Germany....
s. The entry hall, its newel
Newel
A newel, also called a central pole, is an upright post that supports the handrail of a stair banister. In stairs having straight flights it is the principal post at the foot of the staircase, but it can also be used for the intermediate posts on landings and at the top of a staircase...
-posted stairway lit by the stained-glass window on the north profile, has an inlaid parquet floor, delicate fireplace
Fireplace
A fireplace is an architectural structure to contain a fire for heating and, especially historically, for cooking. A fire is contained in a firebox or firepit; a chimney or other flue allows gas and particulate exhaust to escape...
and mantel.