Time for another MissPres Architectural Word of the Week! If you want to check out any previous word you can do that here. As always our example photographs come from the MDAH Historic Resources Database. This week’s word is typical to windows, but can any readers out there find other examples not related to ecclesiastical windows?
This week’s word is brought to you by the letter Y as defined by Cyril M. Harris’s Dictionary of Architecture and Construction.
Y- Tracery: ( Y ˈtrā-sə-rē) A type of TRACERY in which the mullions split in the shape of the letter Y.
Our examples are all of churches of varying denominations. Do you have a favorite building in Mississippi that sports fenestration with Y-Tracery? How about a door? Or maybe a house or commercial building that has windows with Y-Tracery? If so please share. Get out and take a photo of the Y-Tracery and post it to the Preservation In Mississippi Flickr page. As you may have noticed two of our example structures are no longer extant so never put off til tomorrow–go take those photos today!
Categories: Books, Churches, Corinth, Greenville, Jackson, Liberty, Vaiden, Vicksburg
Preservation in Mississippi 
For a great image of a residential use of Y-tracery, see the Angelety House (Natchez) National Register nomination: https://www.apps.mdah.ms.gov/nom/prop/801.pdf. Scroll down to photo #5 for a close-up of the dormer. I’ve been told that the man standing looking at the window in that picture is New Orleans architect Sam Wilson.
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Great example! Thanks for sharing your keen observation. Ive included the photo #5 in the examples slide show. The Angelety house is a cool building and I’m glad to see its come a long way since these photos were taken. Mr. Wilson presence in the photo gives some scale as to how large that dormer really is.
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I forgot to ask. Is this your favorite example of Y-Tracery?
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I can’t choose a favorite–all Y-traceries are special in their own way :-)
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I love the way that sounds…Y-tracery. It’s almost as good as quatrefoil, which will probably remain my favorite all-time architectural word of the week. I actually found a few examples among my photos!
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I’m glad you were able to find some examples in your photos. Thank you for uploading to the MissPreservation Flickr page the photo of Holy Family Catholic Church in Natchez! It’s got some great Y-Tracery in its windows. I guess it could be possible for both Y-Tracery and a Quatrefoil to end up in the same window.
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A quartefoil and Y-tracery in the same window?! Suzassippi may have a heart attack :-)
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Well, actually, I DID find both in the same window, and yet, I am still here–it’s a miracle. :)
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