What are the different types of colonial homes?

There are many types of colonial house styles stemming from British Colonial (most common in the US), Dutch colonial, French colonial and Spanish Colonial. Within the US, different colonial styles of homes were built in different regions including saltbox, cape cod, Georgian and southern colonial houses.

What is a colonial style roof?

First, these homes typically feature two stories and have a wooden or stone exterior. The shingles used for a Colonial style roof tend to be natural, but they don’t have to be; possible materials include wood, slate, asphalt, and even synthetic.

What kinds of architectural styles were used during the colonial period?

The architectural styles that developed were the New England Colonial, Spanish Colonial, German Colonial, Dutch Colonial, French Colonial, and Georgian Colonial styles. America’s colonists used locally available materials for building the homes they remembered from their native European countries.

Why is it called a salt box house?

Originally named for the wooden salt containers commonplace in the era, saltbox houses are typically built from wood and easily spotted by their long, slanted rear roof. Because of the lower slant off the pitched roof, saltbox homes have two stories in the front of the building and only a single story in the rear.

What is a colonial house look like?

Colonial-style homes normally have a square or rectangle shape, with the door located in the exact center and the same number of windows reflected perfectly on either side. They traditionally have two to three stories with similar, traditional room layouts.

What are the characteristics of a colonial style house?

Key Elements

Square, symmetrical shape. Formality governs the Georgian Colonial.
Five windows across front.
Dental moldings along the eaves.
Pedimented dormers sometimes jutted from the roof.
Flattened columns on each side of door.
Shutters.

What are the characteristics of a colonial house?

Key Features Of A Colonial Home
- Two Stories. Colonial homes are traditionally either two or three stories tall – never one story.
- Symmetrical Architecture. One key feature of colonial homes is symmetry.
- Symmetrical Floor Plans.
- Decorative Entryways.
- Pitched Roofs.
- Chimneys.
- Multipaned Windows.
What does the inside of a colonial house look like?

What makes a colonial house unique?

Colonial homes are traditionally either two or three stories tall – never one story. These homes have steep roofs with gables. They are traditionally built with wood, stone or brick. The floor plan of a colonial home usually features the kitchen and living spaces downstairs with all bedrooms upstairs.

What is a salt block house?

A saltbox home (which takes its name from the resemblance to a wooden lidded box in which salt was once kept) is identified by its asymmetrically long, rear roof line. The pitched roof that slopes down to the first floor was first created to cover a lean-to addition at the rear of the original house.

What is a salt shaker house?

A saltbox house is a traditional New England style of house with a long, pitched roof that slopes down to the back, generally with timber framing. A saltbox has just one story in the back and two stories in the front.

What kind of roofs did colonial houses have?

Some styles have a “saltbox” shaped roof. Some have a gambrel roof, which look like barn roofs. Others use a sloping, angled roof or flat roofs. Colonial house roofs were clay tile, earth, or wood. Here is an example of a “saltbox” roof:

What did roofs look like in the 1800s?

A gable roof is a type of roof structure that consists of two large, sloping surfaces. These surfaces meet along a central ridge at the top of a house, and in doing so create two gable ends, or triangular wall sections. During the late 1800s, one of the most popular house styles was the gable front house, according to Artisans of the Valley.

What kind of houses did the southern colonies build?

However, a Southern Colonial home is often made with brick. Clay was plentiful in many southern regions, which made brick a natural building material for southern colonial homes. Also, homes in the southern colonies often had two chimneys — one on each side — instead of a single massive chimney in the center.

What kind of houses did the Dutch colonists build?

Colonists from the Netherlands settled along the Hudson River on land that would become New York, Delaware, New Jersey, and western Connecticut. Dutch Colonial houses feature brick and stone construction and chimneys on each side of the house. They often have a steep gable roof or a gambrel roof.

Some styles have a “saltbox” shaped roof. Some have a gambrel roof, which look like barn roofs. Others use a sloping, angled roof or flat roofs. Colonial house roofs were clay tile, earth, or wood. Here is an example of a “saltbox” roof:

What kind of houses were built in the northeast?

Colonial houses in the Northeast are built for rain, wind, and cold winters. Southeastern styles handle the heat, humidity, and swampy ground. In the southwest, dry heat dictates housing styles. Roof: Some styles have a “saltbox” shaped roof.

What kind of homes did the colonies build?

This style is named after King George III of England and not the colony of Georgia. Georgian Colonial homes were built throughout the colonies. They were rectangle shaped homes that were symmetrical. They typically had windows across the front that were aligned both vertically and horizontally.

What kind of houses did the early settlers live in?

The roof was usually a thatched roof made from dried local grasses. The floors were often dirt floors and the windows were covered with paper. Inside the single room home was a fireplace used for cooking and to keep the house warm during the winter. The early settlers didn’t have a lot of furniture.