Top of the Stairs
I have question that maybe someone can answer. At the top of the stairs in my brownstone is that small round cutout. You usually see a religious statue placed in the spot. I have heard it was for caskets so they could turn the corner. Can anyone answer what is the true purpose of the…
I have question that maybe someone can answer. At the top of the stairs in my brownstone is that small round cutout. You usually see a religious statue placed in the spot. I have heard it was for caskets so they could turn the corner. Can anyone answer what is the true purpose of the small cutout?
Sunds like a niche. Pronounced ‘nitch’ in English, ‘neesh’ in French.
Now, why did the parlor become the ‘living room’?
Coffin corner refers to the practice of placing a decedents urn in that corner of the stairwell. Loved ones would still be able to say good night and good morning to the departed on a daily basis.
personally I think the name comes from the fact that a “dead person” was standing in the niche… i.e. statue
in regard to clearance for large wooden boxes… try it, the geometric proportions and turning radii of a large rectangular box show that such coffin corners are located in the wrong location to be useful in turning
there is a potential to rest the corner of the box in the niche… but that only allows the pallbearers to rest
They were ornamental for placing a vase or a statue. The idea that they were installed for a coffin to be able to navigate the stairs is a cool myth. I think it says so in ‘Bricks and Brownstones’.
Stinky. I loved the idea of a Victorian “coffin corner.” I don’t care if it’s a myth — coffin corner is my story and I’m sticking to it. (That little niche also came in quite handy as a “couch corner” during the years I resided in a Brownstone!)
Copy-gal
I always thought it was a coffin corner. But I guess its not.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffin_corner_%28architecture%29