Style Guide

From DAS Wiki

General Considerations

This website is a wiki, meaning that it's a "living document" created by the collective efforts of people with an interest in the history of Baltimore's built environment. We expect that the content and style of each page will change over its lifecycle. In the early part of the page development one might have an infobox with a smattering of data filled in, and perhaps not much else. Later, after more material is found about the subject, miscellaneous facts and images might be added to the page. Finally, someone might aggregate all those facts and images into a page having content looking more like an encyclopedia or other authoritative source.

Red Links and Hyperlinks

A red link, like this example, signifies that the linked-to page does not exist—it either never existed, or previously existed but has been deleted.

It is useful while editing articles to add a red link to indicate that a page will be created soon or that an article should be created for the topic because the subject is notable and verifiable. Red links help our wiki grow. The creation of red links prevents new pages from being orphaned from the start. Good red links help us—they encourage new contributors in useful directions, and remind us that Wikipedia is far from finished.

Create red links in the text of your article for all architects, buildings, and notable people and places that do not already have existing articles. You can do this by using the link button in the text editor.

Articles should not contain red links to files, to templates, or to topics that do not warrant an article, such as an architect's favorite food. In general, a red link should remain in an article if it links to a title that could plausibly sustain an article, but for which there is no existing article, or article section, under any name. Only remove red links if the wiki should not have an article on the subject.

See Wikipedia's guidance on red links for more information.

Linking through hyperlinks is an important feature of the wiki. Internal links bind the project together into an interconnected whole. External links and citations connect the project to a web of sources where users can learn more about a topic, view high resolution scans from other databases, or watch a video.

Appropriate links provide instant pathways to locations within and outside the project that can increase readers' understanding of the topic at hand. Whenever writing or editing an article, consider not only what to put in the article, but what links to include to help the reader find related information, and also which other pages should have links to the article.

If an architect or building appears in an article, press the link button on the editor and use it to search the wiki for an existing article to hyperlink. If no article exists, create a red link.

For more guidance on hyperlinking, see Wikipedia's Manual of Style/Linking.

Citations

By citing sources for wiki content, you enable users to verify that the information given is supported by reliable sources, thus improving the credibility of the wiki while showing that the content is not original research. You also help users find additional information on the subject; and by giving attribution you avoid plagiarizing the source of your words or ideas.

In particular, sources are required for material that is challenged or likely to be challenged – if reliable sources cannot be found for challenged material, it is likely to be removed from the article. Sources are also required when quoting someone, with or without quotation marks, or closely paraphrasing a source. However, the citing of sources is not limited to those situations – editors are always encouraged to add or improve citations for any information contained in an article.

Citations are especially desirable for statements about living persons, particularly when the statements are contentious or potentially defamatory.

To create a citation, use the Cite button in the text editor. You can select from a website, book, News, Journal, or Basic.

View the Wikipedia article on citing sources for more information.

Buildings

Building Name

Building naming generally follows the National Register. See How to Complete the National Register Nomination Form for additional examples.

Enter the name that best reflects the property's historic importance or was commonly used for the property. Enter only one name. The first sentence of the building entry text should indicate the building's historic name (if different) and other names. See the Wikipedia entry for the Bank of America Building.

When the name of a person is used to identify a property, use the following format: last name, first name, and building type. If a property is significant for more than one person, choose the most prominent. If the persons are equally important, include as many names as appropriate but do not exceed 120 characters for the entry. A property may be named for both the husband and wife who owned it. If there is not enough space for both names, choose the most prominent person's name or eliminate the first names altogether.

Differentiate properties with common names by numbering them or adding the location to the name. For example, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Hampden Branch.

If a building does not have a name use its address in place of its name.

Infobox Data

Only complete the fields you have information for. It is not required to complete every field.

Address

When writing addresses, spell out terms like "Street" "Boulevard" "Road" etc. Abbreviate cardinal directions that are part of street names such as "W. 37th Street". If a building includes multiple numbers or you are referring to multiple buildings such as a row of homes, include the number range like "100 - 110 N. Charles Street."

If the property does not have an address, list its location as follows: “NE corner of Charles and Chase Streets” or “1 mile east of North Avenue”.

If the address is in Baltimore, omit city name. If the address is in any other city or town, include city or town name and state.

Make sure the Geo-reference pin is in the correct location. It can be moved by clicking on the map.

Building Type

Use the following Building Types only

  • Residential
  • Commercial
  • Industrial
  • Infrastructure
  • Agricultural
  • Institutional

Review the List of Building Types page on Wikipedia for more details about subtypes that fit in each Type.

One note of caution: the entry here will determine what sort of marker appears on any map containing this building. And there are only certain building types currently recognized by the mapping system. Here they are:

Library Blue-marker.png Church Red-marker.png Government Brown-marker.png Commercial Purple-marker.png Dwelling Yellow-marker.png Park Green-marker.png Educational Orange-marker.png

If your building type is not one of these your building will not show on any map. We anticipate adding marker types and building types to those above, but to date that has not happened.

Architectural Styles

The following architectural styles are taken from the National Register of Historic Places. See How to Complete the National Register Nomination Form

The categories appearing in bold relate to the general stylistic periods of American architecture. The subcategories below relate to the specific styles or stylistic influences that occurred in each period and other commonly used terms. Use the category or subcategory that best describes your entry.

Categories for Architectural Classification
Category Sub-Category Other Stylistic Terminology
No Style
Colonial French Colonial
Spanish Colonial Mexican Baroque
Dutch Colonial Flemish Colonial
Postmedieval English English Gothic; Elizabethan; Tudor; Jacobean or Jacobethan; New England Colonial; Southern Colonial
Georgian
Early Republic Early Classical Revival Jeffersonian Classicism; Roman Republican; Roman Revival; Roman Villa; Monumental Classicism; Regency
Federal Adams or Adamesque
Mid 19th Century Early Romanesque Revival
Greek Revival
Gothic Revival Early Gothic Revival
Italian Villa
Exotic Revival Egyptian Revival; Moorish Revival
Octagon Mode
Late Victorian Victorian or High Victorian Eclectic
Gothic High Victorian Gothic; Second Gothic Revival
Italianate Victorian or High Victorian Italianate
Second Empire Mansard
Queen Anne Queen Anne Revival; Queen Anne-Eastlake
Stick/Eastlake Eastern Stick; High Victorian Eastlake
Shingle Style
Romanesque Romanesque Revival; Richardsonian Romanesque
Renaissance Renaissance Revival; Romano-Tuscan Mode; North Italian or Italian Renaissance; French Renaissance; Second Renaissance Revival
Late 19th and Early 20th Century Revivals Beaux Arts Beaux Arts Classicism
Colonial Revival Georgian Revival
Classical Revival Neo-classical Revival
Tudor Revival Jacobean or Jacobean Revival; Elizabethan Revival
Late Gothic Revival Collegiate Revival
Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival Spanish Revival; Mediterranean Revival
Italian Renaissance
French Renaissance
Pueblo
Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements Sullivanesque
Prairie School
Commercial Style
Chicago
Skyscraper
Bungalow/Craftsman Western Stick; Bungaloid
Modern Movement New Formalism; Neo-Expressionism; Brutalism; California Style or Ranch Style; Post-Modern; Wrightian
Moderne Modernistic; Streamlined Moderne; Art Moderne
International Style Miesian
Art Deco
Other
Mixed More than three styles from different periods (for a building only)

Materials

Enter the primary building material. If more than one, separate with a "/" such as "Brick/Stone" Enter only materials visible from the exterior of a building. Do not enter materials of interior, structural, or concealed architectural features even if they are significant. Materials include:

  • Wood
  • Brick
  • Stone
  • Metal
  • Stucco
  • Terra Cotta
  • Concrete
  • Glass

Architect

If there is an individual architect primarily associate with the design of the building enter their name here. Existing architects in the database will show up in the dropdown. If no entry exists for the architect, a link to a new page will be created for them. (The page will still have to be created using the "Add Architect" menu item.)

Architecture Firm

Enter the Architecture Firm primarily associated with the design of the building. Existing firms in the database will show up in the dropdown. If no entry exists, a link to a new page will be created for it. (The page will still have to be created using the "Add Firm" menu item.)

Other Designers

Sometimes, especially with projects completed in recent decades, multiple firms will be associated with a project. The primary design architect should be added as the "Architecture Firm." Other designers, such as the architect of record, should be added here.

Contractors

This includes any other contractors/artisans that worked on the project including carpenters, masons, stained glass makers, etc. Multiple entries can be added. Note that entering data into this field is a little different than in other fields. After each contractor name, hit <Enter>. Then, click back in the box next to the name you just entered, and enter in another name (if necessary). Then hit <Enter> again. Do this until all contractors have been entered. If no page exists for any contractor, a link to a new page will be created for it. (The page will still have to be created.)

Awards

Awards should be entered in the following format: [Awarding Organization] [Award Name] [(Award Date)]. Example: AIA Baltimore Grand Design Award (2007). Multiple awards should be separated by semicolons.

Dates

The Infobox includes multiple milestone dates to use. You can include the full date, month + year, or just the year. If the date is approximate check the "approximate" box. Only fill in dates that you know or have an approximate date for.

Renovations

Projects that have undergone major renovations can be noted in this section. This section uses the same format as the above fields.

National Register

Buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places should be identified here. Buildings can be searched on the National Park Service website or using the Maryland Historical Trust Medusa database. Note that when adding the URL make sure to include the "https://" at the beginning. That prefix tells the wiki that the link is to an external website; omitting it will make the link inoperable.

Free Text

This section is best left empty. It is better to use the Edit Text link and edit the page directly than to use the Infobox edit link.

Architects

Architect Name

Naming conventions follow Wikipedia's Manual of Style. Follow these conventions when inputting a name so as to avoid duplicate entries of architects.

Initials

Generally, use the most common format of a name used in reliable sources: if that is with a middle name or initials, make the title conform to that format. Examples: John F. Kennedy, Thomas John Barnardo, George H. W. Bush, J. P. Morgan; Malcolm X; F. Scott Fitzgerald.

For initials:

  • If reliable sources write out several or all of a subject's given names nearly as often as they use initials, prefer the version with the names written in full. Example: Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and not C. P. E. Bach, although the latter has more Google hits.
  • Punctuation: see Wikipedia: Manual of Style/Biography § Initials.. Periods should always be placed after an initial, and spaces should be added after initials such as in C. P. E. Bach.

Adding given names, or their abbreviations, merely for disambiguation purposes (if that format of the name is not commonly used to refer to the person) is not advised.

Changed Names

In some cases, a subject may have changed their full name at some point after birth. In these cases, the birth name may be given in the lead as well, if relevant:

Jack Benny: Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky)

Bill de Blasio: Bill de Blasio ( born Warren Wilhelm Jr.)

In other cases, a subject may have changed name multiple times. Multiple former names may be mentioned in the lead, boldfaced if they redirect to the article. However, it is not always appropriate to list every previous name of a subject, only the birth name and those that were in use during the period of notability:

Bill de Blasio (born Warren Wilhelm Jr.; May 8, 1961)  is a politician .... He was briefly known as Warren de Blasio-Wilhelm ...

The names should be distributed throughout the lead to mark major transitions in the subject's life:

Augustus (63 BC – 14 AD) was a Roman emperor .... He was born Gaius Octavius Thurinus into a wealthy family .... He assumed the name Octavian after his adoption ...

A person named in an article of which they are not the subject should be referred to by the name they used at the time being described in the article. For example, Pope John Paul I was known as Albino Luciani before he was elevated to the papacy, so material about the time before he became pope should use the name Albino Luciani. In some cases, it is helpful to the reader to clarify, e.g., Albino Luciani (later to become Pope John Paul I). The principle of avoiding anachronistic naming is also usually employed in the subject's own biography (including that of John Paul I).

If a subject changed their surname (last name) for whatever reason (e.g., marriage, adoption, personal preference), then their surname at birth should generally also be given in the lead. Editors may denote this with "born" followed by the subject's surname or full name; for name changes due to marriage, they may also use née (feminine) and né (masculine) followed by the surname, provided the term is linked at first occurrence.

Some practical examples:

Courtney Love: Courtney Michelle Love (née Harrison; born July 9, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, actress ...

Jack White: John Anthony White (né Gillis; born July 9, 1975) is an American musician, singer, songwriter ...

Barbara Flynn: Barbara Flynn (born Barbara Joy McMurray; 5 August 1948) is an English actress ...

Marion Worth: Marion Worth (born Mary Ann Ward; July 4, 1930 – December 19, 1999) was an American country music singer ...

Infobox Data

Birth and Death Dates

The Infobox includes multiple milestone dates to use. You can include the full date, month + year, or just the year. If the date is approximate check the "approximate" box.

Birth and Death Places

If American, format as [City/Town], [State]. The state should be spelled out. Ex. Baltimore, Maryland. If born outside the United States, format as [City/Town], [Country] ex. Berlin, Germany.

Associated Firms

List all architectural firms the architect founded/worked at. Separate each firm with a semicolon ";".

Awards

Significant awards the individual has received should be entered in the following format: [Awarding Organization] [Award Name] [(Award Date)]. Example: AIA Gold Medal (2002). Multiple awards should be separated by semicolons.

Significant Design

List one building project the architect designed that you deem most significant.