Guide to Old House Styles and Architecture (2024)

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Guide to Old House Styles and Architecture? ›

True American Colonial architecture dates back to the Colonial era, from the 1720s to the 1780s. European settlers built these historic homes with steep roofs and symmetrical features in simple, rectangular shapes.

True American Colonial architecture dates back to the Colonial era, from the 1720s to the 1780s. European settlers built these historic homes with steep roofs and symmetrical features in simple, rectangular shapes.

We shine a spotlight on the masters of this midcentury movement, which saw modernist design become a significant part of everyday life.

Examples of Late Modernism (including Glass Skin architecture), Brutalism, New Formalism, and Late Expressionism—in some cases, designed in the 1960s and not completed until the following decade—were built well into the 1970s.

The Edwardian period ended abruptly with the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. After the end of the war, the Interwar Period covered the 1920s and 1930s, leading up to the Second World War in 1939.

The Queen Anne style, popular in American from 1880 to 1910, evolved out of the Colonial Revival style; the two styles were fashionable at the same time. The Queen Anne style was imported by English architects who were inspired by the half-timbered walls and patterned masonry of Medieval and Jacobean style-buildings.

Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival homes sprang up around the same time, and were a top choice for many builders. According to “A Field Guide to American Houses” by Virginia Savage McAleester, about 40 percent of homes were built in Colonial Revival style between 1910 and 1930.

1930s style homes often took inspiration from the Art Deco movement, with curved bay windows a prominent feature in many houses of the time. Architects also looked back through history for inspiration, with many 1930s houses featuring mock Tudor timbered sections and Neo-Georgian sash windows.

1970s: Split-Level

The population boom required affordable housing which the Split-Level style was able to provide. The defining features of these homes are their multiple levels (most often three, but sometimes two), staggered floor plans that follow the land's natural slope and short flights of stairs.

By 1940 the Art Deco style had evolved into "Art Moderne," which features curved corners, rectangular glass-block windows, and a boat-like appearance. Popularized in the United States by Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen, the style enjoyed a revival in the 1980s.

What are 1960s houses called? ›

Home Style. During the 1960s, ranch-style homes were the most popular. Also common during this era were Cape Cod and split-level Mediterranean style homes.

Contemporary architecture was a key architectural style in the United States from 1940 to 1980. Early contemporary houses were inspired by the organic aspects of Prairie Style or Craftsman Style houses while later contemporary houses drew influences from the International Style.

The 1980s - Postmodernism

While many different architectural styles were popular in the 1980s, one style that stands out is post-modernism. Postmodernism is a style that emphasizes individualism and uniqueness, and this is reflected in the way that post-modern buildings are often asymmetrical and have irregular shapes.

A look at the architecture and design of a revolutionary decade marked by a dramatic formal invention and a celebration of color. By architecturaldigest.com.

In the late 1990s, it divided into a multitude of new tendencies, including high-tech architecture, neo-futurism, new classical architecture, and deconstructivism. However, some buildings built after this period are still considered postmodern. Postmodern architecture.

Architectural style is defined as a set of characteristics and features that make a building or other structure notable or historically identifiable.

Geography and climate of a location have a big impact on the architectural design process. After all, if you are constructing a commercial building in a location that receives a lot of rain, perhaps a limestone facade may not be the best choice.

Search your local building department or archives

In some cases, you may find your department complies an online database of permits and plans. If you can't access records online, you can often submit a records request via an online form, then wait for digital records to be sent to you.