ARCHITECTURAL STYLES FOUND IN NORTHEASTERN OHIO

T he following is a guide to residential architectural styles found in North-eastern Ohio. It is important to remember that houses cannot be catego-rized like plants or birds, because buildings are a product of the prefer-ences and means of the builders. Stylistic labels are a way of looking at

buildings, yet different ones have varying degrees of finish, from folk buildings that are suggestive of a style to full academic revivals. Much of Northeastern Ohio was built in a relatively short time-span of industrial expansion when mass-ing was dictated by narrow urban lots and few stylistic features were incorporated. Many turn-of-the-century buildings are really “types,” characterized by their shape and roof type (such as homesteads and American foursquares), but “wear” a few elements like porch posts and sash configuration from different stylistic peri-ods—thus one might see several of the same basic house on a street with one wearing Tuscan porch posts and a Palladium window in the dormer, while another has battered posts and piers and exposed rafter tails of the Craftsman style. Some houses also represent transitional periods when fashion was evolving, such as late Queen Anne style houses that reflect the transition from Victorian to Colonial Re-vival features.

Vernacular or Folk (to present) Characteristics often include:

Simple Little stylistic detailing Typically gable-fronted or side-gabled

Classically Inspired

Federal (1780-1820) Based on Roman prototypes; sometimes called “Adam” after the English designers, the Adam brothers. Characteristics often include:

Smooth brick finish with fine joints Lintel-type window heads Low pitched roof Three-over-six or six-over six double-hung sash Doors often have fanlights or transom lights

Greek Revival (1820-1860/1905-1930) Characteristics often include:

Low pitched roof Wide cornice line Prominent square or round porch columns Narrow side lights & rectangular transom lights at front door Elaborated door surrounds Six-over-six windows Small frieze band windows beneath cornice

Romantic Revival Styles

Gothic Revival (1830-1880) Characteristics often include:

Steeply pitched roofs Elaborated vergeboards Pointed arches Board & batten siding

Italianate (1840-1880) Characteristics often include:

Rectangular (almost square) Wide eaves usually supported by brackets

(often paired) Low pitch hipped roof Cupola or belvedere Hood molds over windows Decorative frieze at cornice

Second Empire (1860-1890) Characteristics often include:

Mansard roof Bracketed cornice Paired windows Roof cresting Multi-colored and patterned slate tiles

Eastern Stick Style (1860-1890) Characteristics often include:

Asymmetrical Decorative “stick work” (studs, knee braces, x-braces) Steeply pitched gable roof Towers and pointed dormers Vertical, horizontal, and diagonal boards applied over hori-

zontal siding

Queen Anne Style (1880-1890)

Characteristics often include:

Asymmetrical Variety of materials, textures, & colors Tall paneled or corbelled chimney Roof cresting Tower or turret Decorative upper sash Simplified classical columns (later versions) Palladian & oriel windows, Classical & Colonial Revival

ornament (later versions)

Romanesque Revival (1840-1900) Characteristics often include:

Monochromatic brick or stone finish Arched corbel tables along eaves Arcades Wall buttress Battlemented parapet Oversized portico Palladian windows and fan lights

Colonial Revival (1880-1955)

Characteristics often include:

Typically symmetrical (not always) Hipped roof Cornice accented by dentils or modillions Multiple pane upper sash over single light (sometimes one over one)

Dutch Colonial Revival (1900-1935) Characteristics often include:

Gambrel roofs, occasionally with bell-cast eaves Multipaned upper sashes Roof dormers, sometimes large and extending width of house Lunette windows in gable ends Colonial-style elements, especially porticos

Early Twentieth Century Building Types & Styles

A building “type” is characterized by its basic shape and massing and can “wear” decorative elements from different

stylistic periods. Bungalows & Arts & Crafts Houses (1905-1930) Characteristics often include:

Prominent porch Tapered porch posts or battered porch piers Knee braces Exposed rafter tails Shed dormer Multi-light upper sash or casement windows Bungalow form could have porch posts, etc of Colonial

Revival or Prairie styles

Homestead (1850-1930s) Characteristics often include:

National or “folk” style One or two story Boxy shape Gabled or “Temple-like front Porch across front Simple ornamentation with

Greek Revival or Craftsman elements

American Foursquare (1905-1930)

Characteristics often include:

Two story Boxy, rectangular shape Hipped roof Broad, overhanging eaves One-story porch across facade Upper & lower body often clad in different

materials Simple details taken from Arts & Crafts,

Prairie, or Colonial Revival styles Prairie (1900-1920) Characteristics often include:

Low-pitched hipped roof Overhanging eaves Brick or stucco finish Chimney at intersection of roof planes Continuous bands of windows Casement-type windows with leaded panes

Academic Eclectic

Swiss Chalet Revival (1880-1920) Characteristics often include:

Low-pitched front gabled roof with wide eaves supported by decorative brackets

Patterned stickwork, exposed rafters and purlins Projecting porches or balconies with flat, cutout trim

Oriental Eclectic (1875-1940) Characteristics may include:

Overhanging eaves curled or flared at corners Ceramic or metal tile roofs Irimoya roofs

Georgian Revival (1895-present) Characteristics often include:

Symmetrical Brick Hipped or gabled roof, large chimney Quoins and belt courses Dormer windows with Classical details Broken or segmental pediments Modillions, dentals, entablatures, and

pilasters Multipaned windows with gauged

brick or stone lintels Italian Renaissance (1840-1920) Characteristics may include:

Symmetrical Stone, brick, or stucco finish Pedimented window heads Arcade Frieze and cornice Quoins, modillions, and dentils

Tudor Revival (1890-1940)

Characteristics may include:

Brick, stone, or stucco wall cladding (often used in combination) Steeply pitched roof Facade dominated by one or more cross gables Decorative half-timbering Tall, narrow windows with multiple lights (often diamond-

shaped panes) Roofs with rounded corners designed to imitate thatch

Beaux Arts (1885-1930) Characteristics may include:

Façade symmetrical Masonry, typically smooth stone Flat or low-pitched hipped roof Quoins, pilasters, or columns Decorative garlands, patterns, or shields Accentuated, elaborate cornice lines Some examples have mansard roof with dormer windows

French Eclectic (1918-1945) Characteristics may include:

Tall, steeply pitched hipped roof Eaves commonly fared Brick, Stone, or Stucco Decorative Half-timbering Balustraded porches and balconies Quoins at corners, windows, or doors

Spanish Colonial Revival (1915-1940) Characteristics may include:

Stone, brick, or stucco Red tiled roof Little or no roof overhang Enriched classical door surround Decorative vents Balconies with wood or iron railings,

sometimes cantilevered Loggia or colonnade Elaborated chimney tops

Mission (1890-1920) Characteristics may include:

Mission-shaped dormer or roof parapet Red tile roofs Quatrefoil window Arcaded entry porch Brick, stucco, or stone

Modern Houses

Art Deco (1925-1940) Characteristics often include:

Stepped or set-back façade Zig zag decorative band Metal sash-type window Window spandrel Sunrise, chevron, and lozenge patterns

International (1920-1945; 1970-present) Characteristics may include:

Smooth, unornamented wall surface Flat roof Asymmetrical façade Steel sash or glass block windows Steel pipe railing Curved façade

Minimal Traditional (1935-1950) Characteristics may include:

Wood, brick, stone, or mixed siding Fairly low-pitched roofs with little overhang Front facing gable Typically one or one and a half story Minimal detail

Cape Cod (1650-present) Characteristics may include:

Square or rectangular shape One and one-half story Steep pitched roof Paneled door Small dormers

Ranch (1940-1975) Characteristics may include:

Sprawling, horizontal form Asymmetrical Low-pitched roofs Brick, clapboard, stone, or combination Ribbon or clerestory windows Three-part window with picture center Front or side facing garage No porch; modest entry Sliding doors and rear patios Minimal detail, typically Colonial

Split-Level (1955-1975) Characteristics may include:

Horizontal like ranch Low-pitched roof with overhang-

ing eaves Two-story unit intercepted by

one story wing Variety of wall cladding Front or side facing garage

Contemporary (1940-1980) Characteristics may include:

One or two-story Flat roofed or gabled Overhanging eaves and exposed roof beams No traditional detailing

Post Modern (1970-present) Characteristics may include:

Whimsical shapes and colors Exaggerated elements such as Palladian windows, pediments, circles Applied ornament: pediments and colonnades Brilliant white or silver Bright colors and variegated wall treatments Synthetic textures such as Dryvit

Neo-Traditional (1965-present) Characteristics may include:

Combination of traditional and modern forms Stylistic ornament applied, but with less concern for

accuracy in placement and size than in earlier revival styles. Traditional ornament from various styles often mixed. Synthetic siding, brick, or clapboard siding Design dictated by cost and convenience for mass production

If you have questions about style, you may contact Michael Fleenor, Director of Preservation Programs at mfleenor@clevelandrestoration.org OTHER RESOURCES: A Field Guide to American Houses, by Virginia & Lee McAlester (Alfred A. Knopf, 1992) Identifying American Architecture: A Pictorial Guide to Styles and Terms, 1600-1945, by John Blumen-son (American Association of State & Local History, 1977) What Style Is It? A Guide to American Architecture, John C. Poppeliers, et. al. (The Preservation Press, 1983)