Architectural Styles Federal CA.1790-1830

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Overview	Colonial	Georgian	Federal
Greek Revival

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The federal style (roughly corresponding to England's Regency style) is easy to confuse with Georgian, but it is more refined with restrained ornament and flat-surfaced walls.

SIZE AND SHAPE	Rectangular or nearly square 2 to 3 stories high
ROOF LINE	Hip (or deck-on-hip) and gable Lower roof slope than Georgian ones Parapets on finer houses Dormers with low-arch window heads
CHIMNEY	Less noticeable; plain, not ornamented Symmetrically placed
DOORWAYS & DOORS	Delicately scaled, classical ornament similar to Georgian Semi-circular or elliptical fanlights with tracery Double paneled doors; rectangular sidelights
WINDOWS	Double-hung with large panes; thin muntins and frames Sometimes floor-length Palladian windows Flat lintels, not arched; often flush with the wall
PORCHES	Entrance porches may be semi-circular Porticoes are common
FACADE	Symmetrical placement of doors, windows, and other building elements Lateral building wings are common
ORNAMENTATION	Formal ornament in the Adamesque mode Dentils and modillions at the cornice Garlands, swags, and cartouches
WATCHWORDS	Formal, symmetrical, delicate

 

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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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