This decorative pattern can be accented by glazing or burning the exposed ends of the headers so that they possess a dark, glassy surface that contrasts with the stretchers.
[1]: 23 [4][5] In the British North American colonies, this shiny black glazing was achieved when saplings were added during the kiln process.
[1]: 23 The pattern was employed throughout Northern and Central Europe during the late Middle Ages, with a notable number of Polish structures utilizing the bond.
[2] St. Luke's Church (built c. 1632) in Smithfield, Virginia, is the oldest surviving building to use Flemish bond in what is now the United States.
[2] Flemish bond is a regular component of both colonial and modern buildings on the campus of the College of William & Mary, also in Williamsburg.