Keep in mind that American Colonial architecture is also a broad-based umbrella term that encompasses a number of architectural styles that reflect the multi-cultural influence of early settlers to the U.S. These include saltbox-style homes, Georgian, Cape Cod, French Colonial, Spanish Colonial, and Dutch Colonial, among others.
History of American Colonial-Style Homes
The American colonies were settled by immigrants who brought their own architectural aesthetics and building know-how with them across the Atlantic. By adapting to the availability of local materials and weather conditions, they created what went on to become a signature American home style. The first defining period of American Colonial-style homes were what is known as First Period British that came into prominence during British colonial rule. This dominant style is what most of us think of when we hear the words “American Colonial,” timber framed wood houses with simple windows, decorative shutters, and symmetrical forms anchored by a central door and a chimney or two. The original American Colonials ceased to be built around the time of the American Revolution in 1765–1783, when the vogue for British architecture fell out of fashion as the new country asserted its independence. But a century later, the country’s centennial celebration of 1876 created a nostalgia that led to the Colonial Revival of 1880 to 1955, when architects borrowed and mixed elements of earlier building styles to create a variation of the originals that were suited to the times. During the first wave of the Colonial Revival from 1880 to 1945, homes tended to be well constructed from quality materials. But between 1945 and 1955, a newer crop of post-war Neo-Colonials sprung up in American suburbs that lacked the craftsmanship and charm of the originals, but were good enough for suburbs around the country where they became ubiquitous. In the late 20th century and into the beginning of the 21st, Neo-Colonial architecture took on a new and supersized variation in the specter of the McMansions that came to define the era and still haunt American neighborhoods to this day. Colonial homes remain such an iconic part of the American architectural landscape that they have never really gone out of style, whether in regard to sought-after historic homes in New England or the myriad reproductions that have been constructed and continue to be built by developers today throughout the U.S., which are often branded as New Traditional.
Key Characteristics of American Colonial-Style Homes
Simple, traditional designPlain exteriors with minimal embellishmentsBuilt with wood, brick or stone according to the region and time periodRectangular and symmetrical in shapeCentral door Often features symmetrical front entrance columnsUse of double sash windowsVariations may include dormer windowsImposing central wood staircase with formal entrySmall multi-pane windows on original styles, larger windows on Colonial Revival and Neo Colonial or New Traditional stylesSame number of windows on each side of the doorDecorative window shuttersGenerally two and sometimes three stories tallCommon living spaces located on the ground floorBedrooms on second and/or third floorsSteeply pitched roofs with side gables Central chimney or double chimneys with one located at each endOne room deep, two or three rooms wideColonial Revival may include a garage that creates a more asymmetrical facadeGenerally painted in muted neutral colors
