The First American Colonial
- When the settlers first came to the new world, they built small structures to provide shelter from the harsh conditions. Early American colonial houses contained one room for sleeping, eating and gathering. A large fireplace at the end of the room provided heat and a place for cooking. The next wave of settlers could spend more time building their homes, so they mimicked the medieval style of the houses they left in England. Once the colonist learned how to survive and started to spread out amongst the colonies, the styles of their houses evolved. Thus began the trend of building permanent homes with more rooms for privacy and socializing.
The New England American Colonial
- The New England American colonial consisted of a central chimney with fireplaces in each room. Popular New England American colonial styles are the Saltbox and the Cape Cod. The colonists created the Saltbox configuration from the simpler square or rectangular colonial house. They added more space to the original colonial design by constructing a long sloping roof. The Cape Cod style of American colonial house is one and a half stories with four rooms downstairs and two upstairs. Building the house low enabled it to withstand the strong New England winds.
The Dutch Colonial
- After coming to the new world some colonists expanded on the early style of the American Colonial house. The Dutch built a new type of American colonial house by incorporating architectural ideas brought from their country. The distinctive elements of a Dutch colonial are a steep curved roof line and chimneys placed on both sides of the house. You will find Dutch colonials in the New York City area and in the Hudson River Valley where the Dutch settled.
The Southern Colonial
- The identifying feature of a Southern Colonial house is the two-story colonnade. Brick façades with ornamental dentil moldings and pilasters add to the elegant look of the southern colonial. Windows symmetrically frame a centered front door while the chimney is placed at the side of the house.
The French Colonial
- Authentic French colonial houses are found in Southern Louisiana and around the Mississippi basin area. The French colonial includes tall narrow windows and doors along with hipped or side gabled roofs. Shutters flanking the windows are both decorative and functional.
The Georgian Colonial
- Wealthy colonists developed a grand style with the Georgian colonial house. Greek and Roman architectural details are incorporated into the design. The houses include a kitchen, formal dinning room, parlor, library, sitting room and ballroom. The brick exterior of the Georgian colonial is constructed with a gabled entrance, paneled door and columns on either side of the front door. Double hung windows hold nine or twelve panes of glass and no shutters are used on the home. Inside, crown molding, chair rails and wainscoting abound.
The Center Hall Colonial
- The end of the revolution brought freedom and prosperity to America, as well as a new colonial style of house----the Federal colonial. A fanlight over the front door and sidelights brought focus to the entrance, which also could be covered. Roofs on the Federal colonial house are either hipped or gabled. Windows are double hung with six panes of glass on the top and bottom sash. Circular, hexagonal or oval shaped rooms are a unique design feature. The Federal colonial house includes multiple chimneys instead of a centrally located one, allowing space for a large staircase in the central hall.
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