Catshead

A catshead (alternatively cat's head or cats head) is an architectural feature commonly found on multi-storied mills, agricultural buildings, and factories, composed of a small extension protruding from the gable end of a larger roof.

A grist mill with a single main roof and catsheads at each end vaguely resembles a cat's head in sillohuette, with the catsheads forming the "ears" of the imaginary feline; this may be the origin of the name.

Catsheads originally existed to protect the ropes and pulleys associated with lifting equipment (such as the block and tackle rigs used to shift mult-ton milling equipment and the simple wheel pulleys used to lift fodder into haylofts) from ice and the corrosion and rot caused by rain.

Adding the protective catshead to the gable end of an existing roofline made roofing tasks simpler, and conserved building supplies by eliminating the flashing that would be required by a completely separate roof.

Whimsical architectural styles (such as Queen Anne) may also sport catsheads as non-functional decorative features.