Architectural Styles Colonial CA.1700-1800

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Overview	Colonial	Georgian	Federal
Greek Revival

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Logically, a Colonial-style house would have been built before 1776. However styles tend to linger, so actual age notwithstanding, look for these colonial signs.

SIZE AND SHAPE	Small and rectangular 1 to 2 1/2 stories high
ROOF LINE	Gable, sometimes hip or gambrel Steep pitch Box or simple moulded cornices Plain dormers
CHIMNEY	Prominent, interior (sometimes centrally located) or exterior
DOORWAYS & DOORS	Small and simple Un-ornamented entrances Paneled doors, sometimes have vertical or diagonal boards Rectangular transoms, but no sidelights
WINDOWS	Only a few (not large) with small panes Double-hung with thick muntins andheavy frames Simple lintels; sometimes arched
PORCHES	Possible, but not likely If one is found, it is probably a later edition
FACADE	Usually a somewhat asymmetricalplacement of doors and windows
ORNAMENTATION	Sparse to non-existent
WATCHWORDS	Small, simple

 

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Source: Overview by Bryan Wright; tables adapted from an article by James C. Massey and Shirley Maxwell

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Related Links:

Colonial Sense: Houses
Colonial Sense: Towns

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