a street with character
h
Ralp
Liu’s
(continued from p. 104)
level. “This was the period of
porches,” Manchester architect
and preservationist Bill Badger
reminds us, agreeing that these
houses were built to impress.
Offer ing Full Menu
Lunch and Dinner
Cater ing Available
4971-3 Main Street
(Near Rite Aid),
Manchester, Vermont
11:30-2:30pm • 4-9pm
Closed Sunday and Monday
Phone 802-366-1888
Fax 802-366-1688
see full menu at
SUSHIBOATVT.COM
The next house on Bonnet Street
is the rectory of the First Baptist
Church, circa 1890s. This is what
people mean when they say a
Victorian house is “Carpenter
Gothic.” Did you just whisper the
word “gingerbread” to yourself ? It
is an informal term for this style,
which hints at the way picturesque
folk dwellings were adorned.
Using manuals with detailed
plans and elevations showing
countless elements of design,
builders were free to choose, or
to let their clients choose, from
a cornucopia of construction
curiosities. Remember one thing
as you study the intricate sawn,
drilled, and carved decorations: in
this era, builders had steam-driven
power tools, making it quicker and
more efficient to create matching
bargeboards, brackets, balustrades,
The delightful details on the rectory on Bonnet
Street.
106 manchester life | manchesterlifemagazine.com