Structural Stars - 1860 Alexandria Virginia Carriage House

Look carefully at this picture.  Do you see the four stars?  Do you know what they are for?  Not decorative, they are structural.  They are attached to rods, and called various things, but mostly wall washers (also referred to as: wall anchors, brick anchors, tie plates, iron tie-rod plates, earthquake bolts, pattress plates, or gib plates).  These rods pass through the house, between the two floors.  There are four more on the other side of the house, directly opposite these four. They actually hold the house together to prevent lateral movement and bulging as the structure wants to spread over time.  Sometimes these rods run side to side, as in this case.  Other times they go from front to back.  I have seen various kinds of wall washers - stars (as you see here), acorns, florets, initials, squares, diamonds, and flowers.  There are many blacksmith shops around the nation that specialize in authentic re-castings of such historical artifacts to be used for repairs should some get damaged from rust or time.  When restoring properties, it is important to use materials as authentic as possible.  And there is a huge market for these blacksmith shops!  The stars on this house look original!  Wow...