We were visiting this beautiful place the other day.
http://www.glendaleaz.com/parksandrecreation/sahuaroranchpark.cfm
And noticed these above the doors.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10317/spikes.jpg)
I hope you can see them. The only thing I can think of is a primitive swamp cooler. If you added wet rags.
Those are bricks, they are used in constructing buildings to keep weather out and heat in ;D
Smart aleck I am...
Think the spikey things are there to keep the birds from flying into the window and dropping presents on people's heads entering and exiting the building?
Yes you are. :D Those spikes are long and skinny. I don't see them good for anything but they were over all of the doors with transom windows.
Keeps the birds away, cant think of the name though.
That sounds right about the birds of today - pigeons all over. But 100 years ago?? Maybe they were recently added to keep pigeons off the sills. That makes sense.
Google "bird deterrent" and you'll get info, pics, etc.
They deter birds and climbing critters like squirrels, coons, etc!
They are very helpful where you don't want birds to perch and leave their droppings and also building nests.
Never have seen them, but the bird thing makes total sense, with the windows below, birds would make a quick mess of them. Interesting feature, learn something new all the time here,,
Yes they are bird spikes. They must have been expecting some mighty tall pigeons!
They are used all over the Gulf of Mexico. Bird Spikes is what we call them. We use them to keep seagulls and pelicans off of the Navigation and obstruction lights on platforms and satellite wells.
They work great, I put them on the cross braces in my barn where I park my tractor, my chickens would roost up there and bomb my tractor at night, put these up there and no more bombs :D
They also work very well to keep cats from jumping onto outside window sills and scratching the screens. Cats hate them. :D
We used them at work. Smaller birds used them to anchor nesting materials. :D