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Colonial homes are patterned after the homes built by America’s first European settlers.  The style dates back to the English building styles of medieval times.  Consisting of a two story, square, or rectangular house with steep, gabled roofs, the colonial has a large central door, a central chimney and fireplace.  The home’s rooms are off of an interior hallway.  Other house designs are based off this basic pattern and are still in demand today.   

 

Garrison, New England, and Southern Style Colonial Houses   The Garrison colonial is the basic style and is modeled after the homes built by the first European pioneers.  Next, the New England colonial is much the same with the addition of a large central chimney and fireplace.  The Southern colonial featured the basic design and added the brick exterior, while moving the chimneys to the sides of the home instead of having them in the center of the home.  Brick construction was replaced by brick veneer in the 1920s.  Dormers were a later addition into these designs and became a feature of contemporary colonial homes.

 

Saltbox Colonials  When more space was needed, the saltbox colonial was an answer.  The early Americans built a simple, one-story addition onto the rear of the house.  The addition featured a long sloping back roof.  The early colonists stored salt in boxes of similar style, so the name "saltbox” came about.

 

Dutch, French and Spanish Colonials  Dutch colonials featured flared eaves or rounded, barn-like roofs.  French colonials were more common in Louisiana and Mississippi and were identified by their large, two-story pillared porches.  French colonials rarely had interior hallways, so the porches were the principal way to get from one part of the house to another.  Spanish colonials were prevalent in the American southwest, with their adobe stucco and flat Spanish tiled roofs.

 

Georgian and Federal Colonials  The reigns of the King Georges of England prompted the Georgian style colonial homes at the end of the 16th century, and continued into the 17th century.  The style became very popular, both in England and America.  The Georgian colonial keeps the square and rigid look of traditional colonial architecture while adding a basic symmetry in window placement.  Additionally, a façade over the door that includes an overhang that is supported by pillars or pilasters.  After the United States declared independence from England, French colonials began to appear.  French colonials added flair to the traditional colonial style by featuring ovals rooms, Palladian windows (an arched window immediately flanked by two smaller, non-arched windows), and decorative garlands.

 

Colonial Architecture Today  The colonial revival style and the neo-colonial style are two styles that are being built today on a large scale.  The colonial revival style has the traditional colonial style with blends of the New England, Southern, and Saltbox styles.  The neo-colonial style merges long-established colonial architecture with current designs and additions.  Whichever style you prefer, the colonial home is full of tradition and American history.

 

Full service general contractor, Mike Fournier, will be pleased to answer your questions about colonial homes.  Give him a call at 918-357-7777 or complete the contact form.  He will be happy to assist you.