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Gazebos - A little background

History

Gazebos belong to a variety of garden structures with similar functions, that include pagodas, pavilions, kiosks, belvederes, follies, alambras, pergolas, and more. As the etymologies of those names suggest, such structures were (and are) quite popular in warm and sunny climates. They are well-attested in the literature of China, Persia, and many other classical civilizations, going back to several millennia. Examples of such structures are the garden houses at Montacute House.

Through most of American history, gazebos continued as a garden feature reserved for the well-do. George Washington had a small eight-sided garden structure at Mount Vernon. Thomas Jefferson wrote about gazebos - then usually called summerhouses or pavilions. He planned to build at least three in different styles at his home, Monticello, but only got around to building one.

The word gazebo was first used by British architects William and John Halfpenny in their book Rural Architecture in the Chinese Taste (1750). Plate 55 of the book, titled "Elevation of a Chinese Gazebo" shows "[...] a Chinese Tower or Gazebo, situated on a Rock, and raised to a considerable Heighth, and a Gallery round it to render the Prospect more compleat".

The origin of the word is unknown, and has no cognates in other European languages. Several false etymologies have been proposed, such as the French expression Que c'est beau ("How beautiful") and the Macaronic Latin gazebo ("I shall gaze"). L. L. Bacon proposed a derivation from Casbah, a Muslim quarter around the citadel in Algiers. More recently, W. Sayers proposed that the name comes from Hispano-Arabic qushaybah, attested in a poem by Cordoban poet Ibn Quzman (d. 1160)

Construction

Through history, garden pavilions have been built using almost any construction material. In contemporary England and North America, however, gazebos are typically built of wood and covered with standard roofing materials, such as shingles. Most of Prefabricated gazebo kits manufactured for the North American market are produced in Pennsylvania by the Amish and Mennonites.

So now we get to the present day and Logspan offer our Timber Gazebos and Wooden Pavilions for you to choose your perfect garden feature.