The Evolving Design Of The Sash Window In History

Social, cultural and industrial history can all be traced through the historical development of the sash window. As the availability of wood, glass, and metals has changed and the ability of builders to work with these has been improved upon, the shape of sash windows has altered with the times. Where they are still intact, sash windows tell us much about a building and its history.

The very earliest type of sash windows were known in Europe as early as the 13th century, however, these primitive windows had no glass in them. Glass became more viable in 16th Century Europe and the sash design became increasingly preferred over the older casement windows. During the 16th century, too, the horizontal sliding sash gave way to the vertical sash which was balanced with a simple system of weights and pulleys.

It was in the seventeenth century that this particular design of window made its way to Britain and began to be used in the homes of those who could pay the high prices involved. To have a sash window became a status symbol that said a lot about the size of the owner’s bank account.

During the development of this type of window, manufacturing processes became capable of producing broader and flatter single pieces of glass that allowed fewer individual panes to be used. Sash windows were made with lighter materials and further restrictions were taken away when glass duty was abolished in the middle of the nineteenth century.

Houses built throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries typically have the enduring and popular design of sash window with six rectangles of glass in each sash frame. The look of the window was largely unchanged during this period, except for a brief fashion for arched windows, but a way of hiding the balancing weights and ropes was devised and became widely used.

In the early eighteen hundreds a distinctive form of sash window emerged for a period. The traditional six panes of glass were altered in shape and size to give a large pane in the middle with lesser panes or sidelights on either side and above or below. These windows demonstrated to an even greater degree the high status of the purchaser.

In the later eighteen hundreds such large panes of glass were being increasingly used that it was necessary to extend the outer edges of the supporting frames to secure them. These extended “horns” can be still be seen on many sashes from this era. Some architects of the late nineteenth century also reverted to using smaller panes of glass in conscious emulation of more historical designs.

Less regulation and wider availability of affordable materials mean that, in the last 200 years, the design of sash windows has been unrestricted by such considerations and a variety of styles have continued to be built, emulating some of the popular forms of the past according to taste.

By looking at a sash window it is possible to approximately date a property as well as to guess at the type of person who built it, their wealth and influence and their personal preference. Changes in the economic and civil life of Britain have all influenced the historical development of the sash window.

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