Colonial REVIVAL 1880 – 1955

Colonial Revival is essentially a mixture of styles, all uniquely American. Roof forms such as gabled, hipped and gambrel identify the style’s diversity that allows a greater degree of adaptation when remodeling than do the more rigidly defined architectural styles. Colonials are typically two to three stories in height and are symmetrical in design. Front porches or verandas are typical as is dormers long the front façade. Although the style can be found through the United States, the style has remained extremely popular in the New England states.

Colonial Revivals frequently present a notable decorative entrance. This may consist of a paneled front door flanked by sidelights, a broken pediment over the door, a modest portico with columns, and perhaps a pediment supported by pilasters.

Windows are designed simply, although never reproducing the original Colonial Style primarily because, by then glass manufacturers had learned how to produce larger windowpanes that were too convenient and functional to ignore. Thus, most windows in the Neo-Colonial are rectangular with double-hung sashes, each one consisting of six, eight, nine, or even twelve panes. Multipane sashes with only a single sheet of glass serving as the lower pane, are also common.

Gable roofs are the typical roof form found in Colonial revival homes followed by gambrel and hip roofs. Slate shingles were commonly used until around WWII when asphalt shingles began to replace slate because of cost.