What makes a colonial home

Here are a few defining characteristics of Colonial homes:. During the Colonial Era, America was home to Spanish, French, Dutch, and British colonists, all of whom incorporated the motifs and methods of their homeland into their architecture. Though many styles are still popular in certain parts of the U. Like many homes from this era, Colonial houses have adapted and changed over the years. The first designs began with two simple rooms—one downstairs, one up—that always had a central fireplace to keep the home warm during harsh winters before the invention of electricity.

Early homes were typically built in a simplified British Colonial style, as colonists built with the architectural layouts they were familiar with. For a brief period in U. But the late s brought the Colonial Revival: A resurgence in Colonial-style architecture that laid the foundation for modern Colonial homes being built today. This revival is commonly credited to the Philadelphia Centennial of —the first World's Fair to be held in America, celebrating the year anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

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.

Since this simple design is so adaptable, many different variations of standard Colonial homes exist in America. From the early colonists to today's modern architects , home builders have created new takes on the traditional style for generations.

When Colonial homes were first built in America, they typically followed the early British Colonial floorplan. They were characterized by a large central fireplace and central chimney on the roof , steep roofs to weather harsh winters, and exterior wood shingles or plank siding. These were the original structures used to create the first Saltbox homes, and their layouts were also the foundation for Cape Cods. These original U. Colonials were constructed with rustic wood frames and often had features like diamond-pane windows.

This architectural style became popular during their reign, which lasted from to These houses are similar to other Colonial styles, but often include a small, covered front porch over the door with columns extending from the main structure. They are usually framed in brick on the exterior with white columns. Georgian Colonials also typically feature second-story balconies above these porches, which can either be small and round or wide and rectangular. American colonial homes are simple, symmetrical, and rectangular.

They are always two or more stories tall, with the staircase located in the center of the home. For that reason, the staircase is a prominent design feature, and is usually made of wood. Just like the staircase, the front door of colonial homes is at the center, opening directly to the staircase, which is often surrounded by a formal entryway. As previously mentioned, colonial homes are usually two or three stories tall.

The common spaces—living room, kitchen, dining room, and family room—are traditionally located on the first floor, with bedrooms on the second and third floors. Traditionally built with an emphasis on symmetry, these homes are often one room deep and three rooms wide, though their rectangular shape makes it easy to add onto, either on the sides or back.

Since then, the home has changed hands many times. In William and Mary Ann Dykes purchased the home and started restoring it to its 18th Century glory. Above is an 8, square foot 18th Century red and yellow colonial house once owned by Captain John Reed. It sits on the Kennebec River in Maine. Actually, the yellow portion is the original house. The red part is a barn converted into an add-on to the home.

It is touristy, but the tourist dollars make it possible to maintain such a beautiful town and the many colonial houses that pepper the streets. Above is one example of a prominent colonial house in Camden. Built in , it consists of 7, sq. While colonial style was on its way out by that time replaced by the Federal style, the plainer Colonial style was still favored by many people. The above is a good example which is a classic colonial residential architecture.

It sits on nearly 1 acre. The above featured colonial house sits on a river in Connecticut. It was built in and has 4, sq. In New England, the majority of colonial homes were built with wood siding, as the material was easy to come by. Colonial homes in Virginia, which is considered part of the New England family, were built primarily of brick because clay was plentiful.

The style can be found as far west as Ohio and Illinois. As Colonial architecture evolved in the United States, architects and homeowners sought to put their own stamp on the style. These accessories include such items as brass door knockers, cut-glass doorknobs and gilt indoor mirrors.

The use of shutters on the front windows also evolved out of the Colonial style. Several other types of Colonial homes have evolved from the original style. The French adopted the style as they built homes in what became Louisiana.