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9 votes
1 answer
4k views

What caused the builder to change plans midstream on this 1905 library in New England?

This is the builder's plan for a library in New Hampshire (US). It shows a small wooden structure with, one its facade, a dormer with a circular window and a double-door. Source And this is a ...
nuggethead's user avatar
-3 votes
2 answers
386 views

How did they build tall and heavy stone buildings in the 19th century? [closed]

Lately, I've been watching these videos about how a lot of buildings allegedly built in the mid-to-late 19th century (1800s) look extremely old even on the photos taken when they were supposedly just ...
A. Lugg's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
1k views

Where did Borobudur's stones come from?

Borobudur is a Buddhist temple located in central Java (Indonesia). It is made of andesite, a volcanic rock common in the area—nearby volcano Mount Merapi is andesitic. But I have some troubles ...
Jean-Marie Prival's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
190 views

is there a connection between the British slate roofs and slate roofs found in the Himalayan State of India ( Uttarakhand)

I was reading some basic text on Mughal architecture on Wikipedia, and I came across this image - , This is a house in the Indian Himalayan State of Uttarakhand, here is the second Image - which is a ...
Yanjan. Kaf.'s user avatar
15 votes
2 answers
7k views

Did the drapes in old theatres actually say "ASBESTOS" on them?

In many old cartoons from the 1920s and 1930s, whenever there is a theatre scene or similar, and the curtains come down, they literally say "ASBESTOS" on them. Was this based on real life? ...
Radinsky's user avatar
  • 151
25 votes
3 answers
3k views

What was the shortest time between a historical event occuring and a museum opening dedicated to said event?

As an example, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum opened 5 years after 9/11. The National World War I Museum opened 8 years after the end of World War I. Was there ever a museum that opened after an even ...
JonathanReez's user avatar
  • 4,375
0 votes
1 answer
129 views

What kind of building materials did Cavendish use in determining the density of the earth?

I’m working to build the Cavendish experiment of 1798 according to Cavendish’s own specifications. I have a question about building materials Cavendish may have used. Cavendish put his pendulum inside ...
zeynel's user avatar
  • 101
3 votes
1 answer
677 views

Where can I find more information about destruction of a castle in Merlas, France?

On approximately the 21st of June 1944, some German troops burned a "castle" (not an historical one, built just before 1900) in the commune of Merlas (Isère), in the south-east of France. ...
F. C.'s user avatar
  • 135
2 votes
0 answers
620 views

How many labor hours were required to build wooden sailing ships? [closed]

I'm trying to find out how many hours of labor it took to build wooden sailing ships. (Obviously it would depend on e.g. size, and the ideal result would be a formula or table relating such parameters ...
rwallace's user avatar
  • 2,574
0 votes
1 answer
99 views

What are the figures in the "Goodbye Donald Trump" video [closed]

I am trying to classify the figures in this video From 0:00 to 0:12 - Statue of Liberty From 0:14 to 0:20 - Abraham Lincoln From 0:22 to 0:24 - ? From 0:25 to 0:33 - ? From 0:42 to 0:45 - ? From 0:47 ...
robertspierre's user avatar
-3 votes
1 answer
1k views

Is there any historical evidence that Sultan Mehmed II bought the Hagia Sophia? [closed]

Due to current events regarding the status of Hagia Sophia, I have heard from some people, saying that Sultan Mehmed II bought the Hagia Sophia before using it as a mosque. I have searched for proof, ...
Rep's user avatar
  • 21
3 votes
0 answers
95 views

Did any Western consulates remain open or re-open after WWII in the same buildings in which they had resided in Wuhan, Hebei, China?

The recent CNN article From one-time Chinese capital to coronavirus epicenter, Wuhan has a long history that the West had forgotten Two generations ago, this city of 11 million people, on the ...
uhoh's user avatar
  • 1,759
2 votes
2 answers
2k views

How was the first carpenter's square made?

A "square" is a tool, typically L or triangle shaped, that gives a craftsperson a quick and accurate 90° angle to use as a baseline in many important trades. It's easy to find a right angle if you ...
Pink Sweetener's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
631 views

Where was Haile Selassie's palace in the Ogaden Desert?

According to Kapuściński's informant W.A.-N., in the former's book about Haile Selassie, The Emperor: It is true that some excesses were committed. For instance, a great Palace was constructed in ...
user avatar
18 votes
7 answers
2k views

Why are most of the world's oldest buildings in Europe and not in the Fertile Crescent?

Looking at the list of the world's ten oldest surviving human constructed buildings, many are in Europe while the oldest building in what (with a generous interpretation of the concept) could be ...
d-b's user avatar
  • 1,758
3 votes
2 answers
195 views

What are good predictors of the construction year of residential buildings? [closed]

I follow a suggestion from a question on meta stackexchange to ask about actual, physical architecture here. I hope that is acceptable. I am interested in the information and features which a ...
Scrox's user avatar
  • 31
0 votes
1 answer
1k views

What is this building called? (It was built in 2002)

I have tried google image'ing it, but it doesn't work. Also it is a building that has a history as far as from 3th century before anno domini.
Jan-Erik's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
146 views

Does anyone have information about a pre-1859 church in Villers-Bretonneux?

The current church of Villers-Bretonneux, Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Villers-Bretonneux was built after WWI. Before this was a church built in 1859; here is an historic photo. There was a church ...
Heis 's user avatar
  • 451
5 votes
1 answer
280 views

Does somebody know anything about the original "Tour de Croy" tower?

In Châtillon (near Paris in France), one can find today this tower. Before this, there was the Biret tower, built in 1870. Before the Biret tower there was the Croy tower (tour de Croy). A short ...
Heis 's user avatar
  • 451
2 votes
2 answers
2k views

Is a wheel older than a wall?

I caught a snippet from the president’s remarks. He was talking about the wheel and how it is older than the wall. Is there historical fact to back such a statement? Or the other way around?
Dr. Shmuel's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
79 views

Where in San Francisco did the Land Commission meet?

After taking California, the U.S. needed a way to sort through land claims and established a Public Land Commission. This operated from 1852 to 1856, principally in San Francisco but also briefly in ...
user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
744 views

Formation of underground layers of Rome

I have recently came across several news articles (for example) from various decades, talking about existing underground structures in the city of Rome, which used to be above ground at some point of ...
user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
2k views

History of Moti Masjid

Who built the Moti Masjid? Google says it's Sahjahan who built it, but Wikipedia says it was built by Jahangir. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moti_Masjid_(Red_Fort) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
Abhijit Dan's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
757 views

Is there, or was there ever a venue known as "Cobo Arena" in Detroit?

I'm having much confusion with identifying the history of the venues in downtown Detroit, Michigan. What was known as "Cobo Hall" at the time was built in 1960. Currently, what is at the site is known ...
Tom's user avatar
  • 930
2 votes
1 answer
321 views

What was this building and what happend to it?

I recently visited Lofoten in Norway and in small village called Myrland there was a building of some sort near the beach. It looked like docks. It was protected by the sea wall that was build from ...
Teddy's user avatar
  • 53
8 votes
1 answer
4k views

Did the Eastern Romans also use Roman concrete?

When I read about Roman concrete I understand its use was forgotten after the fall of the Roman empire. But what about the Eastern Roman empire, the Byzantine Empire? Did they still make buildings ...
joosthoek's user avatar
  • 183
9 votes
0 answers
489 views

How did Tenochtitlan's Templo Mayor disappear for centuries?

According to Wikipedia (amongst other sources), after the Siege of Tenochtitlan, the Templo Mayor was dismantled and a church was built over its ruins. This church would eventually become Mexico City ...
Devin's user avatar
  • 1,508
15 votes
2 answers
2k views

Were there any Roman villas in Britain which were used rather than destroyed after the Romans left?

As noted in the post Are there any ideas as to what the English landscape was like before the arrival of the Angles? , the infrastructure and buildings which the Romans left behind gradually fell ...
Lars Bosteen's user avatar
47 votes
9 answers
16k views

Aside from the Pyramids, what is the tallest man-made structure still standing in Europe & the Near East from ancient times?

In the Americas, there is La Danta Temple (built c300 BC, 230 ft / 70.10m) in modern-day Guatemala. In Asia (Far East and South Asia), there is the Ruwanwelisaya (built c300 BC, 300 ft / 91.44m) in ...
Lars Bosteen's user avatar
28 votes
1 answer
3k views

Anyone know what this stone building is?

It's located next to a beach and below a small hill. It has three sides and a large metal grid on top, on each of the three sides is an arch which tapers down toward a small opening on the ground. I ...
user27027's user avatar
  • 283
4 votes
2 answers
1k views

Were there any Ancient Greek theatres not built on a hill/slope?

I was wondering the other day whether there were any Ancient Greek theatres that weren't built on the side of a hill. Normally we associate them with having a curved, raised seating area. The purposes ...
The's user avatar
  • 43
7 votes
1 answer
384 views

Line houses and laws?

What were the circumstances of the construction of the various buildings through which the boundary between Vermont and Quebec passes? In particular, what were the laws affecting construction on the ...
Michael Hardy's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
291 views

When did the tilt of the tower of Pisa become seen as a feature instead of a defect?

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is well-known for its tilt, and while it's a beautiful structure, it's unlikely it would've received such world fame without the poor foundations that caused it to sink and ...
kviiri's user avatar
  • 671
2 votes
0 answers
115 views

Was construction work involving hydraulic cements in ancient Rome restricted to the summer season?

Are Italian winter temperatures reliably warm enough for processing of opus caementicium ? Was building activity seasonal for other reasons?
Hannes's user avatar
  • 1,517
9 votes
2 answers
395 views

Why does the Ħaġar Qim seem to have drilled holes / pitted dots on its stoneworks?

Does anyone have any idea or knowledge why Neolithic temple stones have these small holes? They are facing the sun, and the other side of the stones is flat. Smaller object were drilled all over, not ...
MarkokraM's user avatar
  • 523
1 vote
0 answers
180 views

How exactly was the Second Temple destroyed?

What is known regarding the techniques used to destroy the Second Temple? It was quite a large set of buildings made of stone blocks, and Romans didn't know (afaik) explosive techniques good for ...
user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
526 views

Why was the Old Wardour Castle not demolished after the English Civil War?

After the English Civil War, some strongholds such as Corfe Castle were slighted, that is demolished, by order of Parliament. Another Royalist castle, the (Old) Wardour Castle appears to not have ...
NikolaiDante's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
513 views

Was the wall of the Second Temple part of the fortification of Jerusalem?

In the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, there is a 1:50 model of Jerusalem from the Roman period (Holyland Model of Jerusalem). There it shows that the Temple was at the edge of the city and seemingly one ...
David Herskovics's user avatar
13 votes
4 answers
10k views

What do Florence, Genoa, Milan and Venice have in common?

This building, located in Genoa, Italy, displays the emblems of four cities: from left to right Florence, Genoa, Milan, Venice. It is currently an university building, but I don't know how long it has ...
o0'.'s user avatar
  • 1,712
8 votes
2 answers
560 views

How long did it take to build earth dikes with low-tech tools?

Let's say you're in charge of a group of laborers anywhere from the Iron Age to the Middle Ages. Your job is to build a dike made of earth, a couple of meters high and presumably about the same width ...
rwallace's user avatar
  • 2,574
2 votes
0 answers
138 views

What is the usage of a small wash-house in Versailles during Louis XIV times?

I was searching for the usage of a small construction on the edge of the Versailles Castle gardens (the stone thing on the left on the picture below, one of the gates (Saint-Antoine) is on the right): ...
WoJ's user avatar
  • 747
9 votes
12 answers
2k views

Were iconic structures intentionally destroyed in 20th century wars?

I was thinking about this question I just asked, and I wonder whether the potential destruction of such an iconic building is even a realistic fear. Has there been any incident of deliberate ...
taninamdar's user avatar
  • 3,043
11 votes
1 answer
90 views

Was the Church of St Simeon the Elder at Aleppo built while Simeon was still alive or decades after his death?

I recently read in Diarmaid MacCullochs 'A History of Christianity' that the pillar dweller and hermit, Simeon had a church built around him, almost like a "living exhibit in a Christian zoo". However ...
Rowan's user avatar
  • 423