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House Styles Colonial 1680-1776. Variations of the Colonial house include Cape Cod, Saltbox, and Georgian. Usually built as two story wood frame house with narrow clapboard siding. The style includes simple windows with small panes, a center entrance, and a chimney. Cape cods were one and half stories and had no dormers. The saltbox had a steep, short roof in the front, and a longer one in back. French Colonial Spanish Colonial -- also called Mexican Borough. Dutch Colonial -- also called Flemish Colonial Postmedieval English -- also called English Gothic, Elizabethan, Tudor, Jacobean, Northeast Colonial, Southern Colonial Georgian -- The Georgian style covers a long period, from 1700-1820. It is considered the colonial style. Early Republic Early Classical Revival -- also called Jeffersonian Classicism, Roman Republican, Roman Revival, Roman Villa, Monumental Classicism, Regency Federal: 1780-1830. -- Federal houses are elaborately decorated houses with pilasters at the entrance, three stories, which are often dormered. These were often brick houses. Mid 19th Century Greek Revival: 1820-1860. Main characteristics include heavy front gables, and columns, often reminiscent of Greek temples. The Greek Revival marks a merging of other styles and the beginning of the Victorian eras. Gothic Revival: 1835-1880. Also called Early Gothic Revival. The Gothic revival is very romantic style with sharply pointed gables, arched windos, roof finials, and vergeboards and bargboards peirced with designs. Most of these houses resemble "fairy tale" houses, and appear very European. Italian Villa Exotic Revival -- also called Egyptian Revivial, Moorish Revival Octagon Mode Late Victorian 1831-1901. Also called simply Victorian, or High Victorian. Gothic -- also called High Victorian Gothic, Second Gothic Revival Italianate: 1845-1885. Also called Victorian- or High Victorian- Italianate. The Italianate style began the use of brackets to hold the wide eaves, usually painted in a contrasting color. Designed to resemble Italian villas, the houses have slender windows, pillared porches, and usually multiple tall towers. The houses are an escape from the symmetrical mold of the Colonial and Federal houses. Mansard/Second Empire: 1855-1880. A popular Victorian style with a distinctive double sloped roof with many dormers. Usually a slate-sided house, of an imposing style, the Mansard house is immediately recognizable by the roof style. It has windows that are high and narrow. Queen Anne: 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 style, with gingerbread work and elaborate woodwork both outside and inside. It is nonsymmetrical, loaded with gables, dormers, chimneys, towers, etc. Carpenter Gothic : 1875-1910. These houses were reconized because of the 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 tones. It is the style called Gingerbread. Stick/Eastlake: 1860-1890. Also called Eastern Stitck Style, or High Victorian Eastlake. This is almost carpenter gothic, but with more elaborate carving. Shingle-Style: 1880-1910 The Shingle-Style is the last and probably least eclectic of the styles. The fabulous gingerbread is gone, and the early 20th century style is beginning to emerge. Romanesque 1880-1900. Also called Romanesque Revival, Richardson Romanesque Renaissance -- also called Renaissance Revival, Romano-Tuscan mode, Northern Italian, or Italian Renaissance, French Renaissance, and Second Renaissance Revival. Late 19th/20th Century Revival Beaux Arts 1885-1930. Also called Beaux Arts Classicism Colonial Revival: 1890-1930 Also called Georgian Revival. A revival of the Colonial, or Empire styles with new building techniques. Classical Revival -- also called Neo-Classicism Tudor Revival -- also called Jacobean Revival Late Gothic Revival -- also called Collegiate Gothic, for it's popularity on University and College campuses. Mission/Spanish -- also called Spanish Revival, Mediterranean Italian Renaissance French Renaissance Pueblo Late 19th/20th Century American Movement Prairie Schoole -- also called Sullivanesque Commercial Style Chicago Skyscrapers Bungalow/Craftsman -- also called Western Stick.

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Last updated 03/05/2009