Scrolls often top the pickets of a wrought iron fence.
Wrought iron fencing is durable, resists corrosion and adds an element of elegance to the landscape. Originally, wrought iron was worked, or "wrought" by hand by blacksmiths to make decorative ironwork. Today, with the lack of wrought iron manufacturers, historic restoration crews use mild steel and electric welding to repair and restore wrought ironworks, including fencing. Real wrought iron fencing came in traditional styles such as the picket or hairpin fencing often seen surrounding old cemeteries. Does this Spark an idea?
Wrought Iron
Wrought iron is an iron alloy consisting of iron and iron silicate, a glasslike slag or impurity. The slag gives the iron its corrosion-resistant properties as well as its doughlike, grainy textures. A single square inch of wrought iron may contain about 250,000 slag fibers. Unfortunately, production of wrought iron is labor-intensive and costly. The last wrought iron production plant in the United States closed in 1974.
Picket
The picket fence is one of the simplest types of wrought iron fence. The design consists of either two or three horizontal rails with vertical pickets evenly spaced along the rails. The tops of the pickets can be finished by working the iron into scrolls or topping the picket with a cast spear or finial. Alternating short and long pickets gives this simple design an interesting look.
Hairpin
The hairpin fence also has two or three horizontal rails like the picket fence. However, instead of stopping at the top, the pickets turn downward again, forming an upside-down "U" shape with the curved end at the top. The hairpin is another simple design that combines well with other designs to create something more interesting. The bow resembles the hairpin but is large enough to enclose either a picket or a hairpin
Combinations
The picket, the hairpin and the bow are often combined for a more elegant or ornate appearance. When the hairpin and the bow are combined, double arches, one inside the others, grace the top of the fence. Alternating the hairpin and the picket saves on the number of spears or finials needed while still creating a decorative appearance. Placing a bow over alternating short and tall pickets, grouping several pickets under each bow with a tall picket in the middle, is one of the more ornate wrought iron fence combinations.
Tags: iron fence, picket hairpin, wrought iron, wrought iron fence, horizontal rails, iron fencing