The sash window, or a window that opens and closes by sliding panes of glass over either horizontally or, more commonly, vertically, originated most likely in Great Britain in the 17th century. While the origins of the sash window aren’t precisely known, we do have a good idea of where it cam from and when it was most popularly in use.
It is thought that the original design came to Great Britain from either France or Holland. It was used more often in Great Britain as well as its colonies in the Americas. The window moves on strings or balances that made it easy to slide the wooden framed glass open or closed. By the late 17th century the style of window was increasingly popular in both Great Britain and the United States.
We most commonly think of a sash window as one that opens and closes by sliding the panes vertically, however a one that slides horizontally goes by the same name. It is suspected that the horizontal design came into use before the vertical one.
The earliest known proof of this style exist on the Ham House in England and are dated back to the 1670s. In paintings, however, the oldest reference we have is in the 1658 painting by Vermeer entitled “The Milkmaid.” There are written references that go back even further to 1589 when an English writer referenced them in his works.
The windows weren’t regularly used, however, until the late 17th century and by the 20th century they were the most commonly found window in both Great Britain and the States. At that point in time, however, they were not so stylish as they once had been. They were most popular during the Georgian period of architecture.
The most typical model of the window has two panes up and three panes across in each sash, creating six panes of glass over another six. There are many other styles, however. A common term used in the United States is the “double hung sash” which refers to two sashes in the window, both of which can move up and down or side to side. The single hung sash has one immobile pane and one that slides to open and close. In some cases, especially in examples of Churches with particularly tall windows, you see triple or quadruple sashes.
The origins of the sash window aren’t exactly known but we know they date back to common use in England in the mid seventeenth century. They’ve been around for many centuries, and their functionality and beauty can still be seen today.
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