Architectural Styles

Variations of the Colonial house include the Cape Cod, Saltbox, and Georgian. Usually built as a two story wood frame box-like house, linear floor plan, one room deep. The roof is steeply pitched, no overhang, and the exterior covered with narrow clapboard siding or shingles. The style includes simple windows with small panes, a center entrance, and a central chimney. Cape Cods are one and half stories without dormers. The Saltbox has a steep, short roof in the front, and a longer one in back. The more ornate Georgian style covers a long period, from 1700-1820. It is considered the colonial style and includes a symmetrical facade, gable or gambrel roof, central chimney, row of rectangular panes of glass in or above the front door that is covered by a triangular pediment or decorative crown. Columns or pilasters mirror the door frame and look for double hung windows with six or twelve panes.

Additional Federal Characteristics:

• Tall, narrow windows with 6-over-6 sash symmetrically arranged around a central doorway. Windows are straight-topped with thin muntins.
• Semi-elliptical fan-shaped window, transom, or entablature over the doorway framed by sidelights. Six-paneled front doors were often decorated with columns or pilasters and centrally located in five bays.
• Restrained decorations - keystone lintels above windows, quoining at the corners in brick or stone houses.
• Front eave balustraded (wood or wrought iron) and quarter-round or semicircular windows or shutters in the gabled end.
• Chimneys near the end walls of federal style, centrally located in the colonial
• Often seen as row houses, side-by-side in Boston, New York and Philadelphia

Federal houses are elaborately decorated dwellings with pilasters at the side of paneled doors, two or three stories, frequently with dormers. They were often made of brick though frame houses were typically painted a colonial red with black shutters and white trim. This style became popular shortly after the Revolutionary War and took it's name from the newly instituted federal form of government. Sometimes referred to as the Adam Style, it first developed in England and mirrored European interest in the mid-18th century excavation of Pompeii. A Federal home is distinguished by a rectangular shaped building, low pitched roof and overall symmetrical design. The Federal style is more delicate than the colonial style which was so popular during the early 1700s. Colonial style buildings were rigidly symmetrical, with the central hall balanced by two rectangular rooms on each side. Federal style buildings have more varied interiors. A main hall may be surrounded by oval, rectangular and circular rooms and may feature a grand spiral staircase.

Federal homes are often surrounded by ornate wrought iron fencing

Main characteristics include heavy, low front gables and columns that are reminiscent of Greek temples. The Greek Revival marks a merging of other styles and the beginning of the Victorian era. The triangular gable which, usually faces the street, is analogous to the temple pediment, while the flat horizontal board which runs along the length of the gable represents the classical entablature. On Greek Revival farmhouses or simple, gable-front workers houses, four corner boards or pilasters take the place of temple columns. A common local adaptation was to flank the central section with a gabled wing or 1-story symmetrical wings. The exterior surface is generally covered with clapboards, often painted in a buff gray or white tones to imitate the stone of Greek temples. Trim elements such as pilasters, cornices and the entablature were often painted in dark green or black. This style was perhaps the most popular building type in upstate New York during the first half of the 19th century.

Additional characteristics:

• Gable end facing the front, often with a low triangular pediment or return
• Rectangular shaped structures without projections such as bays or balconies
• Clean, dignified lines with no arches
• Emphasis on the doorway by framing it with columns and or pilasters, or asymmetrically recessing it into the front facade
• Tall, rectangular windows

The Gothic Revival is very romantic style with sharply pointed gables, arched windows, roof finials, and vergeboards and bargeboards pierced with designs. The houses have a very stylistic "fairy tale" or "whimsical" quality with Medieval influences. The early homes, especially those in England, were built of stone and enhanced with decorative stone tracery. They have a cottage or castle-like appearance with steep roofs, cross gables and ornamental bargeboards.The number of authentic Gothic stone mansions was never large but quite a few churches have survived. Only the wealthy could afford such homes which required the talent of highly skilled stone carvers.

The costly Gothic style was eventually translated into wood, and thousands of Victorian "Carpenter Gothic" ca. 1875-1910) dwellings still exist here in the States. These houses and churches are easily recognized because of the overall vertical appearance and distinctive sawn ornamentation. Sawn ornament was possible because of the relatively new invention of the coping saw. This is an elaborate decorative technique with Gothic overtones. It is the style often referred to as "Gingerbread". The American Carpenter Gothic style is characterized by steep gables and pointed windows. Often the construction includes vertical "Board and Batten" which was considered particularly fitting for a Gothic cottage because of its upward tendency. The ornate wooden detail is considered a folk art and each carpenter added his own designs.

Additional characteristics:

• Tall and narrow shapes, giving an impression of height, Also, porches, verandas, bay windows, metal roof
• Tall first floor windows, window tracery & pointed arches, windows with pointed or ogee arches, or labeled trim
• Vertical board and batten trim
• Steeply pitched gables and a sharp roof slope
• Gable in the center of the facade usually decorated with a carved wood trim
• Windows vary in size and a generally asymmetrically placed

The Italianate style borrowed from the Tuscan villas an architecture that included: the use of ornate brackets to hold the wide overhanging eaves, usually painted in a contrasting color; slender windows with decorative crowns or lintels; low roofs that may have a cupola or tower. Commercial-style buildings often had flat or low-gable roofs hidden by a parapet. Beautiful slant, square or angled bay windows projected from the facade as did porches with Corinthian columns. Italianate attempted to make wood look like stone or marble as with decorative quoins at the corners. Elegant double front doors welcomed visitors into a spacious hallway. Double parlors with pocket doors were common; one called the "tobacco room" for the men and a knitting and gossip parlor for the women. The interiors were sumptuously decorated with ornate furnishings, exotic patterns and fabrics.

Stick Style: ca. 1860-1890

Also called Eastern Stick Style. Unlike Italianate which tried to make wood look like stone or marble, wood itself became a very decorative element to emphasize the construction framework underneath. Look for square, often stacked bays heavily trimmed with colorful stick molding. Steeply-pitched intersecting gable roofs were a key motif and decorated with spindlework and gingerbread. The style is characterized by an asymmetrical and right-angular look and verandas with diagonal bracing. But most of all, major framing timbers or purely decorative ones were placed on top of the exterior siding to repeat or reinforce the structural skeleton such as contrasting stickboards at the corners instead of quoining. Western Stick style (c. 1890-1920) is characterized by a low gable roof with wide overhanging eaves, projecting balconies or porches and wood or shingle siding.

High Victorian Gothic: ca. 1875-1910

These buildings are almost exclusively ecclesiastical - highly decorative and robust. Rarely built of wood, the stonework contrasts light and dark with the use of polychromy. Look for an abundant use of stained glass gothic windows, tall, ornate spires, steep roofs, buttresses and gables.

A popular Victorian style with a distinctive double sloped roof with many dormers. Usually the roof is of slate or shingled. The Mansard house is straight and tall with typical Victorian arches, spindles, and porches with decorated posts or columns. The windows that are high and narrow, often round and trimmed with carved moldings. Bay windows are prevalent as our overhanging eaves with ornate brackets.

Queen Anne: ca. 1875-1910

Also includes the Queen Anne Revival, and Queen Anne Eastlake styles. This is the quintessential "Victorian" house. This is the most elaborate of any Victorian styles, with gingerbread work and elaborate woodwork both outside and inside. It is asymmetrical, loaded with gables, dormers, chimneys, round towers and bays, and wraparound porches. Queen Annes generally have a gabled roof, shingle angled or round bay windows under the gable. Other typical features include: decorative chimney brickwork, variety of exterior wall coverings and stained-glass panes usually around the top double hung window.

Shingle-Style: ca. 1880-1915

Classic American Shingle Style originated in New England coastal towns and flourished from the 1880's into the beginning of the 20th century. The Shingle-Style tones down the fabulous gingerbread of the Gothic and Queen Anne styles. Gone are the corner boards and fanciwork. The most important feature is the covering of the entire building with rough natural shingles without interruption at the corners, almost as if the shingles are stretched tightly around and over the structure like a girdle. The gable or hip roof remains but with irregular roof lines. Look for small-paned windows and dormers. Turrets and verandas are more fully integrated into the design and details are used sparingly. The Shingle Style was a uniquely American adaptation of other traditions. Its roots are threefold: (1) From the Queen Anne it borrowed wide porches, shingled surfaces and asymmetrical forms. (2) From the Colonial Revival it adapted gambrel roofs, rambling lean-to additions, classical columns and Palladian windows. (3) From the contemporaneous Richardson Romanesque it borrowed sculpted shapes, Romanesque arches, and in some examples - stone lower stories. The Shingle Style is an unusually free form and variable style. It has remained primarily a high fashion architectural style rather than becoming widely adapted to mass vernacular housing.

This style is characterized by an imposing, monumental appearance, usually with a variety of stone finishes. The symmetrical facade is embellished with quoins, paired colossal columns, decorative floral patterns, garlands and medallions. Look for flat, mansard or low-pitched roofs.

Colonial Revival: ca. 1870-1950

Also called Georgian Revival. Look for a balanced facade, decorative paneled doors with crowns or pediments, sidelights, fanlights and porticos that emphasize the entryway. Windows are double hung and may have multiple panes in the upper sash. Also, frequent use of stringcourses and decorative cornices.

Also called Neo-classicism, this style emphasized the Greek orders rather than the Roman, but on a larger scale. Look for pedimented porticos and columns, use of sculptures and crests on the buildings and plain wall surfaces of marble or concrete. Rectangular windows are linteled but without arches.

Tudor Style: ca. 1890-1840

This style utilizes decorative half-timbering but, unlike Stick, favored masonry construction. The roof is generally steep-pitched with end gables, gabled entryways and multi-paned windows. Tall chimneys that bulge toward the top are strong references to the British Arts & Crafts country manors of the late nineteenth century. Even Gothic elements appear in the wrought iron hinges on massive round-topped doors. The interior wood trim has become much narrow and lighter in color, and it may be made of walnut or mahogany. Ceilings may occasionally still be high in the formal part of the house, and they are often coved at the upper edges. Kitchens are modern and functional, and may include a breakfast nook.

The Craftsman Bungalow style was the first step toward the modern Ranch home. The small, overall simplistic house layout emphasizes a low, compact design and a very middle class philosophy - no space for maids and servants! The fireplace became the family center to an almost mythical degree. The Craftsman bungalow is typically one to one-and-a-half stories with little space on the second floor. Look for a long sloping roof line and a wide, sheltering overhang that makes the house appear to nestle into the earth. This tie to the earth is often exaggerated by using a foundation and porch pillars that broaden at the base. The porch is wide enough to feel like an outside room. Use of a front-facing dormer is common. Inside, the woodwork is still heavy and dark, but is usually square or simple rather than ornately built-up in layers or with gingerbread and spindles as in Victorian times. Derivative versions of the Bungalow often have beamed ceilings, oak wainscoting in the dining room, built-in buffets with hand wrought iron or brass hardware. Warmth and ambience were typically created by yellow lanterns hanging from the ceiling, along the woodwork or as sconces on the porch. Since the fireplace and hearth were so important as the center of home life, it was made of earthy bricks, tiles or rustic river stones. It was often framed by symmetrical bookshelves and comfortable chairs or built-in benches to create a cozy inglenook. Many Bungalows were built with "TB rooms" or sleeping porches that were completely surrounded by screened windows so that fresh air could circulate freely. The style started in the west and spread eastward adapting regionally. The New England Bungalow has colonial characteristics, Swiss Bungalow influenced by mountain chalets and the Adirondack Bungalow built of logs, stone and other natural materials.

These houses are easy to identify with their white stucco walls and red tile hip or flat roof. Spanish Mission houses often get painted rosy pink or teal, rather white or beige. Also look for round arches of stucco supported by piers, outlined by decorated stringcourses. A continuous facade may form a parapet or end at a roofline with overhanging eaves and exposed rafters.

Art Deco: ca. 1925-1940

Introduced in Paris in 1925, this style was primarily used for commercial buildings and theatres. The modernistic design emphasized cubic, mechanical, linear forms. Brick, stone, metal and enameled panels materials were decorated with faceted surfaces, zigzags, chevrons and other abstract stylized motifs.

Modern Commercial Style: ca. 1920 to present

Typically of concrete and steel construction, this style has many regional interpretations. the structures are rectangular and generally have wide spans of glass. Often the strong vertical or horizontal look is emphasized by projecting members, overhangs, columns or exposed steel beams. A concrete plaza ties the building to the landscape decorated with benches, fountains and steps. Roofs are flat, windows - rectangular and often of reflecting glass.