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First Period house (1603-1730)
Elements: Center brick chimney, Asymmetrical small windows, Batten door, Steep Roof pitch, Sill at Grade
Why called era: First era of architecture in America when 17th century settlers were the first to come over and build houses. -
Period: to
FIRST PERIOD HOUSE ORIGINS
Colonists (english settlers from England) built basic houses for survival purposes and had no prior experience to carpentry or construction. They would use timber as main construction material because of an abundance of trees in New England that Europe lacked. -
Georgian Colonial (1725-1780)
Elements: pair of Brick Chimneys, Gambrel roof, Two rooms deep, 6-over-6 Symmetrical windows, Triangular Pediment, Center Entry
Why called era: Named after the English king, King George 1,2,3 -
Period: to
GEORGIAN COLONIAL HOUSE ORIGINS: American Revolution
Created by English architect Sir Christopher Wren. Based of English architecture that was popular at the time. Many people during the American Revolutionary period lived in houses like these -
Federal house (1780-1825)
Elements: Pair of Brick Chimneys, Cornice, Low hipped roof, Smaller 3rd-floor windows, 6-over-6 windows, Center Entry
Why called era: Named after the period of American history that the system of government was being developed. Builders in the new American republic distanced themselves from English influence and created a new style unique to America. -
Period: to
FEDERAL HOUSE ORIGINS
Federal houses are based off unique European ideas of architecture while being closely related to Georgian style -
Greek Revival house (1830-1850)
Elements: Tall columns and Pediments, Painted plaster exterior, Horizontal transom, Chimney (sometimes)
Why called era: Based off greek architecture from ancient Greece, based on 5th-century-BC Greek temples, which spread throughout Europe and the United States during the first half of the 19th century -
Period: to
GREEK REVIVAL HOUSE ORIGINS
With British influence after the War of 1812 (Jun 18, 1812 – Feb 18, 1815), nation expanding westward - style was an expression of America’s triumphant sense of destiny/the sense that our newly formed nation was the spiritual descendant of Greece, the birthplace of democracy. Americans’ sympathy and support for Greece’s war of independence from Turkey also contributed to influence -
Gothic Revival house (1840-1870)
Elements: Pointed arches, Front facing gables, Porches with turned posts/columns, steeply pitched roof, Gables with finials/crossbracing, Decorative crowns, Castle-like towers, Chimney (sometimes)
Why called era: Based off the gothic style architecture from France during 12th-14th centuries -
Period: to
GOTHIC HOUSE ORIGINS
Gothic Revivals are the most abundant in the northeastern U.S. The Gothic Revival can be traced back to England in 1749 to romanticize medieval styles there, and the romanticized simplicity of medieval times. The first American Gothic house was by Alexander Jackson Davis in Baltimore, MD. in 1832. Davis was the first American architect to promote the Gothic style, particularly in his book: “Rural Residences”. -
Italianate house (1860-1890)
Elements: Low-pitched or flat roofs; roof is frequently hipped.
Projecting eaves supported by corbels.
Imposing cornice structures.
Pedimented windows and doors.
Arch-headed, pedimented or Serlian windows with pronounced architraves and archivolts.
Tall first floor windows suggesting a piano nobile.
Angled bay windows.
Why called era: Italianate houses were based off Italian culture and architecture -
Period: to
ITALIANATE HOUSE ORIGINS
Italianate houses were based off italian masonry houses. Architect Andrew Jackson Downing published two books on the style
