Architecture in the Colonial Era
by Amanda Peterson
Chances are, you’ve seen buildings from the colonial era. Whether it’s the city hall of your town or the houses in your neighborhood, the styles and materials of that time still exist, quite prominently, today. In this essay, I will explain different types of houses, building materials, and where these designs are most popularly found.
The English colonial house is, probably, the most widely known type of building. Brought from England in the 17th century, this basic idea turned into many different styles of homes, including the New England Saltbox and the Cape Cod. The first basic form, in the 1600s, was one story with two rooms: a hall and a parlor. There was also a central chimney. From here, it evolved into a series of larger dwellings: from two stories and four rooms to a full story with eight rooms in a standard Colonial design. By 1700, Saltboxes had even adopted shed-like additions in the back. This grew to be a whole new section of the house about four decades later. Generally, though, these houses had the same appearance: a central hall and staircase, flanked by two windows on either side and five across the top story; the main hall led from the front to the back of the house; and two chimneys on either side of the house started out as one, central chimney. This style was especially popular in the New England area from around 1600-1740. An example is shown below.
The English colonial house is, probably, the most widely known type of building. Brought from England in the 17th century, this basic idea turned into many different styles of homes, including the New England Saltbox and the Cape Cod. The first basic form, in the 1600s, was one story with two rooms: a hall and a parlor. There was also a central chimney. From here, it evolved into a series of larger dwellings: from two stories and four rooms to a full story with eight rooms in a standard Colonial design. By 1700, Saltboxes had even adopted shed-like additions in the back. This grew to be a whole new section of the house about four decades later. Generally, though, these houses had the same appearance: a central hall and staircase, flanked by two windows on either side and five across the top story; the main hall led from the front to the back of the house; and two chimneys on either side of the house started out as one, central chimney. This style was especially popular in the New England area from around 1600-1740. An example is shown below.
Dutch immigrants brought their own colonial style to the settlers. These houses generally included steeply pitched gambrel roof (often seen on barns); paired chimneys; and were made from brick or stone. Dutch doors also became popular due to this style, which was common to the homeland of Holland. These houses were quite popular in New York and New Jersey.
The French were overwhelmingly settled in the south, especially in Louisiana and the Mississippi basin. These homes feature tall, narrow doors and windows (the latter with paired shutters); hipped or side gabled roofs; wide porches; no halls; and French doors. These styles were well suited for this region; they were set on high, brick foundations to prevent indoor flooding from the periodical river overflows. Porches were often used as passageways from one room to the next, as there were no interior hallways.
Despite being indigenous to south (and southwest) states such as Florida and Texas, the Spanish colonial style has since spread throughout the country. These stucco or adobe walls and red roofs are almost iconic. Small windows; interior shutters; second stories with porches; interior courtyards; and carved wooden brackets are all common to these types of houses. They also had many doors, but few windows. Despite the settlers only arriving in the early 1600s, this style had been thriving in Spanish communities for years before.
The last style I’m going to touch on is the Georgian Colonial style, named for King George of England. The name may be a tip-off: they were popular in the south, mid-Atlantic, and even New England, primarily starting in 1700 and lasting about eight decades. These homes started to incorporate characteristics of the classic English Colonial house, but added their own twist on things. These were high-class, forming dwellings, with a symmetrical shape facing the world. Square in shape, these houses had long, straight windows, bearing a strong resemblance, again, to the English Colonial. However, these adobes were much more humble than their northern counterparts. Under a crowned door was an entryway with a staircase and a hall, which aligned with the center of the house. From the main area, all other rooms branched from here. Ideally, these houses were brick with wooden features, painted white or pale yellow. Inside, the general contents includes: a formal dining room; bedrooms on the second floor; one or two large chimneys; and, sometimes, a family room.
Of course, certain regions had certain features in their houses, such as the platformed first floors that were native to the French Colonial area. In New England, there was usually one chimney in the center of the floor. Wood was a common building material here. In Virginia and the southern colonies, there were more often two chimneys, one at either end of the house.
Since at least the 13th century, houses in England were generally made from timber due to the abundance of oak. Lime plaster and mortar were available exclusively to wealthy homeowners. However, once explorers pushed into the west, limestone became more readily available. Log construction was introduced in the mid-17th century by Swedish, Finnish, and German immigrants, but wasn’t used commonly until the 1700s. Stone masonry became more commonplace in the early 1700s, after limestone reserves were found.
Do you recognize any homes from your area? Are you living in one of the styles mentioned above? That’s great! You’re a part of history. By maintaining the classic colonial beauty, you can keep this era alive for many generations to come.
The French were overwhelmingly settled in the south, especially in Louisiana and the Mississippi basin. These homes feature tall, narrow doors and windows (the latter with paired shutters); hipped or side gabled roofs; wide porches; no halls; and French doors. These styles were well suited for this region; they were set on high, brick foundations to prevent indoor flooding from the periodical river overflows. Porches were often used as passageways from one room to the next, as there were no interior hallways.
Despite being indigenous to south (and southwest) states such as Florida and Texas, the Spanish colonial style has since spread throughout the country. These stucco or adobe walls and red roofs are almost iconic. Small windows; interior shutters; second stories with porches; interior courtyards; and carved wooden brackets are all common to these types of houses. They also had many doors, but few windows. Despite the settlers only arriving in the early 1600s, this style had been thriving in Spanish communities for years before.
The last style I’m going to touch on is the Georgian Colonial style, named for King George of England. The name may be a tip-off: they were popular in the south, mid-Atlantic, and even New England, primarily starting in 1700 and lasting about eight decades. These homes started to incorporate characteristics of the classic English Colonial house, but added their own twist on things. These were high-class, forming dwellings, with a symmetrical shape facing the world. Square in shape, these houses had long, straight windows, bearing a strong resemblance, again, to the English Colonial. However, these adobes were much more humble than their northern counterparts. Under a crowned door was an entryway with a staircase and a hall, which aligned with the center of the house. From the main area, all other rooms branched from here. Ideally, these houses were brick with wooden features, painted white or pale yellow. Inside, the general contents includes: a formal dining room; bedrooms on the second floor; one or two large chimneys; and, sometimes, a family room.
Of course, certain regions had certain features in their houses, such as the platformed first floors that were native to the French Colonial area. In New England, there was usually one chimney in the center of the floor. Wood was a common building material here. In Virginia and the southern colonies, there were more often two chimneys, one at either end of the house.
Since at least the 13th century, houses in England were generally made from timber due to the abundance of oak. Lime plaster and mortar were available exclusively to wealthy homeowners. However, once explorers pushed into the west, limestone became more readily available. Log construction was introduced in the mid-17th century by Swedish, Finnish, and German immigrants, but wasn’t used commonly until the 1700s. Stone masonry became more commonplace in the early 1700s, after limestone reserves were found.
Do you recognize any homes from your area? Are you living in one of the styles mentioned above? That’s great! You’re a part of history. By maintaining the classic colonial beauty, you can keep this era alive for many generations to come.
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