[Lee Stewart]

Popular in New England, particularly in Vermont, "witch windows" are angled windows that are often found between roofs on the upper levels of a home.

As Devin Colman, who works for Vermont's Division for Historic Preservation, told Vermont Public Radio, "The story is that a witch on a broomstick can't fly through a crooked window opening, which I guess physically is true."

These are also known as "coffin windows," according to Colman, possibly because they could accommodate a coffin coming in and out of the upper floors. "The idea being that it's difficult to maneuver a coffin with a body from the second floor down to the first floor in these narrow staircases, so slide it out through the window and down the roof." That said, these windows also maximize an awkward sloping space, serving the practical purpose of adding more light and a breeze to an upper story of a home.