**Origin and Definition of Gambrel:**
– Gambrel is a Norman English term, also spelled as gambol, gamerel, gambril, gameral, gambering, cambrel, cambering, or chambrel.
– In butchery, gambrels resemble the two-sloped appearance of a gambrel roof.
– It is also used to refer to the joint in the upper part of a horse’s hind leg, known as the hock.
– In France and Germany, gambrel is used to describe a single mansard roof.
**Origins of Gambrel in North America:**
– The oldest known gambrel roof in America was on the second Harvard Hall at Harvard University, built in 1677.
– The c. 1677–78 Peter Tufts House is possibly the oldest surviving house in the U.S. with a gambrel roof.
– Claims attribute the origin of the gambrel roof form in North America to Indigenous tribes of the Pacific Northwest or seamen who brought the design back from the Netherlands.
– Practical reasons, like wider building spaces or tax avoidance, may have influenced the adoption of the gambrel roof form in North America.
**Image Gallery of Gambrel Structures:**
– Dwelling in Amityville, New York, famously featured in ‘The Amityville Horror,’ showcasing a gambrel roof.
– The Henry Bull House and the first Harvard Hall at Harvard University are notable examples of gambrel roofs in America.
– Various barns and homes, like the one in East Toledo, Ohio, exhibit gambrel roofs in different architectural settings.
**Related Concepts:**
– Gambrel’s association with various spellings and its diverse usage in different contexts.
– The connection between butchers’ gambrels and gambrel roofs.
– The term’s application to horse anatomy and architectural features in France and Germany.
**References:**
– Sources like Harper, Douglas, and the Oxford English Dictionary provide further insight into the history and usage of the term gambrel.
– A U.S. patent from 1920 by W. A. Andrew on the release gambrel highlights the practical applications of the concept.
A gambrel or gambrel roof is a usually symmetrical two-sided roof with two slopes on each side. The upper slope is positioned at a shallow angle, while the lower slope is steep. This design provides the advantages of a sloped roof while maximizing headroom inside the building's upper level and shortening what would otherwise be a tall roof. The name comes from the Medieval Latin word gamba, meaning horse's hock or leg. The term gambrel is of American origin, the older, European name being a curb (kerb, kirb) roof.
Europeans historically did not distinguish between a gambrel roof and a mansard roof but called both types a mansard. In the United States, various shapes of gambrel roofs are sometimes called Dutch gambrel or Dutch Colonial gambrel with bell-cast eaves, Swedish, German, English, French, or New England gambrel.
The cross-section of a gambrel roof is similar to that of a mansard roof, but a gambrel has vertical gable ends instead of being hipped at the four corners of the building. A gambrel roof overhangs the façade, whereas a mansard normally does not.
Definition from ChatGPT:
Gambrel:
A gambrel is a type of roof that has two slopes on each side, with the lower slope being steeper than the upper slope. This design allows for more space in the attic or upper floor of a building. Gambrel roofs are commonly seen on barns and some residential homes.