Steeple (architecture)
Encyclopedia
A steeple, in architecture
, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a spire
. Steeples are very common on Christian
churches and cathedral
s and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure. They may be stand-alone structures, or incorporated into the entrance or center of the building.
s were not a part of Christian churches until about AD 600, when they were adapted from military watchtowers. At first they were fairly modest and entirely separate structures from churches. Over time, they were incorporated into the church building and capped with ever-more-elaborate roofs until the steeple resulted.
Towers are a common element of religious architecture worldwide and are generally viewed as attempts to reach skyward toward heavens and the divine.
Some wooden steeples like the one in Kingston, New York
pictured below are built with large wooden structural members arranged like tent poles and braced diagonally inside both with wood and steel. The steeple is then clad with wooden boards and finished with slate tiles nailed to the boards using copper over gaps on corners where the slate would not cover.
, which can start fires within steeples. An example of this is Holy Trinity Church
in Luxemburg
, Iowa
, which lost its steeple in a fire which was believed to be started by a lightning strike.
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a 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....
. Steeples are very common on Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
churches and cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
s and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure. They may be stand-alone structures, or incorporated into the entrance or center of the building.
Architectural
Clock towerClock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
s were not a part of Christian churches until about AD 600, when they were adapted from military watchtowers. At first they were fairly modest and entirely separate structures from churches. Over time, they were incorporated into the church building and capped with ever-more-elaborate roofs until the steeple resulted.
Towers are a common element of religious architecture worldwide and are generally viewed as attempts to reach skyward toward heavens and the divine.
Some wooden steeples like the one in Kingston, New York
Kingston, New York
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, USA. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. It became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British Oct. 16, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga...
pictured below are built with large wooden structural members arranged like tent poles and braced diagonally inside both with wood and steel. The steeple is then clad with wooden boards and finished with slate tiles nailed to the boards using copper over gaps on corners where the slate would not cover.
Threats to steeples
Steeples can be vulnerable to earthquakes. A number of Romanian churches feature unusually slender steeples and over half of these have been lost to earthquakes. Because of their height, steeples can also be vulnerable to lightningLightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
, which can start fires within steeples. An example of this is Holy Trinity Church
Holy Trinity Catholic Church (Luxemburg, Iowa)
Holy Trinity Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic church of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, located in Luxemburg, Iowa.The parish dates back to the 1850s when families living in the area requested a church from Diocesan officials. Construction on the current church building began in 1874 and was...
in Luxemburg
Luxemburg, Iowa
Luxemburg is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the 'Dubuque, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 246 at the 2000 census...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, which lost its steeple in a fire which was believed to be started by a lightning strike.