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Circa 1904. "Huguenot Church -- Charleston, S.C." When Pointy met Spiky. 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
I was taught to call the Gothic ornaments under discussion here "crockets" - but I don't doubt that they might be called crochets in some books. The tall spiky stone things that punctuate the roofline of the church are called "pinnacles," which are extensions of the pier buttresses that line the walls between the windows. Another feature that is unusual here is the parapet (running horizontally between the pinnacles on the side walls, but not on the front) in the form of battlements (or crenellations), which are more frequently found on castles than on churches. All in all, a good vocabulary review!
The decorative bits on the little spires are crochets (on the sides) and finials (on the top). My recollections is that they are one of the many versions of acanthus leaves as they appear in architectural ornament; at any rate they are carved foliage in a highly stylized form. The carving over the windows, though, is something I've never seen before.
If Dave had a Caption-of-the-Month Contest, this would get my vote.
Can anyone enlighten us on the repeated decorative motif at the tips of the spire, atop the window arches - and even atop the fence? It must be important to be carried through so completely. Looks "lotus-y" but I can't imagine that would be correct.
The Huguenot; still a threat to aeronauts:
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