Transition

transition: a word, phrase, sentence, paragraph, or longer passage of writing that serves as a link in the writing. Words such as however, therefore, then, and here are often used as transitions

"A descriptive paragraph or two, treating of the seven-gabled mansion in its more recent aspect, will bring this preliminary chapter to a close."
                                                                             -The House of the Seven Gables
                                                                                   by Nathaniel Hawthorne

All of the information given previously in this chapter was about the history of the house; this phrase simply provides a smooth change of subject. It also alerts the reader to the importance of the actual house. Most books will not devote an entire section to the appearance of the setting, but will rather describe it as the plot continues. However, because of the importance of the house and its status as a symbol and almost a character, Hawthorne includes a section about it in the introductory passage.