Second Empire homes and buildings are French in design and take their name from ... The most prominent feature of the Second Empire style is a mansard roof, named after 17th-century French ...

The roof is the main difference — Italianate design does not have a mansard roof. Decorative brackets are common, along with molded cornices along the top and bottom of the roof line that act as ...

Mansard roof design calls for a nearly vertical roof that slants in on all sides. At a height greater than a floor of the building all sides continue at a very shallow upward slant. The steep part ...

What exactly is a mansard roof? I know one to see one ... little ornaments common on tin or copper cornices, but they are design elements that mimic the ends of rafters in wood construction.

Named after 17th century French architect Francois Mansart, the mansard roof first was popularized in the design of French homes. It is characterized by its distinctive sloping roofs, which are ...