What Is a Colonial House? Facts About American Colonial-Style Homes
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Its lines sweep in regal beauty and with them carry a classical motif into the interior through columns of Doric and Ionic simplicity,” Conrad Hilton himself wrote in the self-published House of Hilton, Casa Encantada. It was extravagantly American, a perfect combination of East Coast stolidity and West Coast dramatics. Self-important film moguls also increasingly turned to neoclassical styles for their personal palaces. In 1926, newspaper magnate and aspiring politician William Randolph Hearst built his mistress, actress Marion Davies, a 100-room Georgian Revival mansion, designed by William Flannery, on the beach of Santa Monica.
Georgian Colonial
While most are historic, the second example is a new house built in the colonial style. Extending from the centralized core of the house, New Traditional Colonials can branch off and have any number of floor plans or outlines. Other popular home extensions include in-law suites, guest rooms, office spaces, and mudrooms. Their exteriors are clad in modern vinyl siding, brick, or stone (for more upscale models). Known for their white stucco walls, red clay roof tiles, wooden beams, and rustic appearance, Spanish Colonial homes are extremely popular throughout the American Southeast, Southwest, and California. Most Spanish Colonial homes have some kind of interior or exterior courtyard, usually in the center of the house.
What is The Most Common Colonial-Style House?
By the 1920s, the newly rich and wannabe powerful in the real estate and movie industries were increasingly using in-vogue classical architecture to denote status and demand respect. In 1924, Francis Montgomery built Sunset Plaza on what became the Strip, anchoring what was essentially a shopping center with four white Georgian Revival structures. But nowhere in Los Angeles County adopted the grandiose neoclassical styles more than the city of Pasadena, settled by wealthy, white, retiring Midwesterners striving for Christian gentility mixed with a sunny status. Spearheaded by the fascinating astronomer George Ellery Hale (member of the Pasadena city planning commission), the city center was laid out based largely on “City Beautiful” principles.
#4 A Classic Colonial Color Scheme
A colonial house typically features a gable roof, characterized by its triangular shape formed by two sloping roof sections that meet at the ridge along the top. The pitch of a gable roof on a colonial house can vary, but it is often moderately steep, allowing for efficient shedding of rain and snow. While regional variations of colonial homes may exhibit slight differences in roof styles, the gable roof remains the most common and recognizable feature across most colonial-style house plans.
In conclusion, Colonial houses are more than just architectural structures; they are living pieces of history that continue to captivate and inspire. The timeless appeal of these homes allows for them to never go out of style and stand out as a testament to history. While we appreciate the history, endurance, and versatility of these homes, we’re able to recognize the enduring legacy of these architectural gems. Colonial-style homes have remained popular throughout the years and will continue to do so.
Colonial Houses with Classic Looks and Enduring Charm
At his studio in Culver City, film pioneer Thomas Ince would build a Southern Colonial-style administration building modeled after George Washington’s Mount Vernon. According to Holliday, Ince chose the style as a respectable response to the scandals that had plagued Hollywood. “Classical allusions could impart to non-governmental agencies, like an electric company, a power and authority that they were not actually entitled to, and lend legitimacy to a dubious enterprise like filmmaking,” he says. As you embark on this journey, consider the significance of symmetry and balance, allowing each room to breathe with a sense of order and proportion. Picture a timeless color palette that echoes the beauty of nature, creating an atmosphere of tranquility and sophistication. Crown molding and wainscoting become the poetry written on your walls, adding texture and visual allure.
#5 This One Proves That Colonial Homes Can Look Great Without Shutters
It's also common to see twin chimneys and dormer windows built into Georgian styles (similar to the classic windows on a Cape Cod). If you were to purchase a newly-constructed Colonial home in America today, it's likely to be designed in the New Traditional style. With modern influences, these homes often feature open-concept layouts with large primary bedrooms, on-suite bathrooms, and roomy kitchen and living spaces. The ceiling is high, which makes the house feel very spacious.” Liliana Perez, Redfin Agent, Dallas, TX.
They have steep, side-gabled roofs, which means the triangular portion of the roof is only visible from the sides; looking at the front door, you only see shingles. Traditionally built with wood and sometimes stone (the materials available), these homes were only one room deep and two or three rooms wide, with either one massive, central fireplace or fireplaces at both ends of the house. They have a centered front door and the same number of small, multi-paned windows on either side of and above the door. Colonial-style houses, a category that encompasses several distinct architectural subtypes, share several defining characteristics that collectively evoke the historic charm of early American homes.
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This revival is commonly credited to the Philadelphia Centennial of 1876—the first World's Fair to be held in America, celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. And when the day comes for them to pass the house on, they hope the next stewards will highlight details special to the house and its New England-style charm. When tackling rooms, Jocelyn took inspiration from the New England-style house she lived in growing up. Outdoors, the park-like grounds are laced with mature oak, acacia and palm trees, and host a loggia that flows out to a fountain-clad swimming pool, plus numerous spots ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining. There’s also a large motorcourt and detached three-car garage on the premises.
Then these "original American Colonials" stopped being built around the American Revolution in 1765–1783, when British architecture fell out of fashion as the new country asserted its independence. You can spot a Dutch Colonial home by its "Dutch roof." It has a gambrel roof, which is symmetrical and sloping on each side. Dutch Colonial homes are wide, with roofs featuring long eaves extending over the sides, making the house look barn-like. The home is constructed of stone or brick, while the doors and window shutters are made of wood. The style was popularized in the 1700s and remained a classic style in the American Northeast. Some Colonial-era builders saved time and resources by creating a dormered half-story on the upper level instead of an entire second floor.
Made from local limestone, the original house also had a red clay tiled roof that was typical of the biberschwanz or "beaver tail" flat tile roofs of Bavaria in southern Germany. The Saltbox building style has a steeply pitched, asymmetrical roof on one side, often with clapboard siding. These simple, clean-lined structures were built by early settlers who used local timber and post-and-beam construction. They were built around a central chimney that provided heating throughout the house.
However, part of the charm of the colonial-style home is its simple, straightforward design. Colonial houses are well-known for their symmetry, and for those looking for a home that allows for easy modifications, this may be the style for you. There are many popular home styles in the United States – contemporary, ranch, bungalow, English Tudor, Victorian, and log homes, to name a few. With its defining symmetrical features and enduring curb appeal, the colonial-style house encompasses other architectural types, including German colonial, Dutch colonial, and Georgian colonial, among others. Take a look at the defining features of the colonial-style house and learn what makes this home style so popular today.
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A colonial-style house is a testament to timeless elegance, characterized by its striking symmetry and refined details exuding a sense of grace. Colonial-style homes remain popular due to their comfortable interior layout and simple exterior facade. The facade of these homes is easily recognized by their brick or wood siding, standing tall with a classic and simple essence.
The houses were symmetrical, had large, centrally located fireplaces, and an attic. The roofs were steep, gambrel style, and the windows were often framed by an arch. American colonial-style houses are commonly two stories, rectangular in shape, and symmetrical. All of the windows have matching shutters in a color that contrasts with the house itself.
Newly monied or simply middle-class homeowners, business owners, and government officials built in neoclassical revival styles, be they Georgian Revival, Federal Revival, Grecian Revival, or the elegant mishmash that is Beaux-Arts. In doing so, they embraced a style that had been used for decades by those those who believed in patriarchal American exceptionalism and white control of the Great Republic. The Locust Grove, in Charlotte County, Virginia, was built in 1751, according to Circa Old Houses, and was included in a land grant from King George II to the captain of the colonial militia, Stephen Bedford. It has the classic, original colonial look with modern touches, such as a bright red door and modern black shutters.
The low-pitched red tile roofs, decorative wrought-iron work, colorful tiles and stucco surfaces of the Spanish Colonial-Revival style of architecture define Southern California’s neighborhoods, particularly Los Angeles. Movieland owners may have used these neoclassical and neocolonial homes to denote more than superhuman power. The architecture might have also been an assurance or statement to nervous bigots that they were good, anglicized Americans. This former mill in Mercer County, New Jersey, then farm, then gentlemen's home, was built in 1700, per Circa Old Houses. This true colonial has a quaint, inviting cottage feel, with stone walls and a matching stone staircase, black shutters, an original chimney, and lush landscaping.
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