The elephant leg column is as much a component of Craftsman style as quarter-sawn oak. This column is tapered. Starting out enormous in its base, it tapers to a top, or funding. Additionally, it has a simplicity of detail that fits in with its Craftsman heritage. How the column got its name is a mystery — but it does seem like a stout elephant leg holding up a roof.
Alfonso and Harmon Architects
Elephant leg columns are often set beneath a low wall to keep them shorter. Stubby and stout, they communicate solidity and massiveness.
Innovative Construction Inc..
These columns can also be utilized in interiors. Homes with open-plan interiors frequently have rooms made by displays and built in elements like bookcases. The elephant leg column can be used to specify each room and deliver a feeling of solidity to the interior.
Beaconstreet Builders, Inc..
The elephant leg column dates to the early 20th century, but it is still used today, occasionally in dynamic ways.
Bud Dietrich, AIA
As a motif, these columns add authenticity to any renovation for which Craftsman style is the goal.