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Star Bolts: Anchors of D.C.'s Architecture

If you live in Washington, D.C., chances are good that you’ve seen metal stars on the facades of buildings while wandering through endless blocks of rowhomes. These stars can add a certain aesthetic to a home, but they are not just for decoration.

Star bolts can be essential in tying your home together. A star bolt is an anchor plate, and they do just that, anchor the non-structural walls to the ones doing all the work. Anchor plates come in many shapes and sizes, but we count ourselves lucky to be in a city where stars are the most prevalent, as we are enamored with their charm.

The construction of most row homes in the District of Columbia are brick and mortar. Mortar used prior to the 1920’s was a lime mortar, which, for many reasons, was replaced by Portland cement upon its arrival on the scene. Now we’re not going to say it’s an inferior product, it certainly has its advantages, however, some of the traits that make it well suited for row-home construction, can also be its downfall.

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