what are the metal stars on the sides of older buildings?

Question

I see them on older brick buildings usually bolted on but dont know what they signify. not a biggy, just curious

Answer 1

The are the ends of rods that go through the building to keep its old brick walls from bulging and falling down. At each end of the rods there is a star to distribute the force (from the rod tension) over a wider area followed by a nut to hold it on. Think of it as a big washer on each end.

Answer 2

I've heard them referred to as hurricane stars in the South.

Answer 3

The rod and plate were used to stabilize buildings prior to the ability to otherwise stabilize walls. In the U.S., you see this in the 18th through 19th centuries especially in cities such as NYC, Philadelphia, St. Louis, etc. The rod and plate systems were long used prior to U.S. use in Europe to include cathedrals. While Wikipedia has its problems, it is not always wrong -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchor_plate

Answer 4

A HEAVY IRON ROD WAS EXTENDED FROM ONE SIDE OF A BUILDING TO THE OTHER (USUALLY IN AN EARTHQUAKE ZONE) . THE HIGHER THE BUILDING THE MORE RODS WERE USED..THE STARS WERE USED SIMPLY AS A DECORATION FOR THE ENDS.............JUST SOME DUMB STUFF I READ ...