How to identify architecture like a well-informed amateur.

Oh, my goodness, I've not posted in so long! I've been sick and midterms are upon us, so I cite extenuating circumstances. But I hope you enjoy this little guide to identifying architectural styles. I'm only a discussing styles that you're likely to come across here in the South.


American Craftsman. Late 19th-1930s.
Emphasis on handmade elements, individuality. Reaction to Victorian era.Look for: Low roof, prominent eaves, exposed rafters, tapered square columns, wood, stone.



American Foursquare. 1890s-late 1930s. Reaction to ornate Victorian style. Look for: plain, brick, boxy shape, 2.5 stories, 4 rooms per floor, center dormer, large front porch with wide stairs.



Colonial. 1720-1780, but later in the South. (Only Georgian style is common in the South.) Look for: square shape, symmetrical, two-story, central door, line of windows on each floor, decorative crown above door, flat columns on either side, usually brick, painted white or pale yellow. Pictured: the Old Jail in Tuscaloosa. 1820s.



Federal. 1780-1830. Very similar to Georgian Colonial. Look for: 1-2 story, center door, symmetry, small 6-pane dormers, 9 or 12 pane windows in rows, chimneys on right & left sides.



Greek Revival. Mid-19th century. Look for: white, columns (usually Doric), large portico, low pitch roof, large windows & doors.



Italianate. 1840s. Look for: pronounced eaves, low-pitched roof, belvedere (the thing on top of the Jemison Mansion), exaggeration of Italian Renaissance architecture. Pictured: the Jemison-Van de Graaff Mansion.



More to come tomorrow. I also plan to do a glossary of architectural terms, like what I did with antique book terms a while back.