Types of Architecture in American Houses

American Colonial

• The American Colonial style of architecture is a diverse style that relates directly from the various colonies. Among the most popular designs of homes throughout U.S. history grew from the colonial architecture of New England. The standard colonial house design is symmetrical, with a door located in the center of the bottom level. Two-story homes are typical in this type of design, and the exterior features five windows across the front of the upper floor. Inside, the house is designed with a four-rooms-on-top-of-four-rooms layout, a stairwell and a chimney that is sometimes centered as well. The French colonies brought the ideas of French architecture with them as well. French Colonial architecture is most obvious in New Orleans and other parts of the Gulf Coast where there is heavy French influence. It often features steep-pitched roofs, big porches, no hallways and French doors leading out to porches from each room. The porches or balconies are often adorned with wrought iron railing.

Greek Revival

• Greek revival architecture is among the easiest styles to spot. The Greek Revival style was most popular in the United States from 1820 to 1850. The homes typically have a low-pitched roof, wide trim resembling crown molding and large porches covered by a roof that is almost always supported by round or square columns. Notable American public buildings constructed in Greek Revival style include the U.S. Capitol Building and the U.S. Supreme Court Building.

Federal

• Federal architecture is related to Georgian or Classical Greek architecture. The homes built in the Federal style often have central stoops covered by a roof that sometimes doubles as an upstairs balcony. Columns, similar to the Greek Revival design, generally support the roof on the front stoop. The early Federal style homes, built in the latter part of the 1700s, were also the first to use double-hung sash windows. Federal architecture makes heavy use of rounded or oval interiors instead of the traditional square-room designs. The oval office in the White House is an example of Federal architecture. The easiest way to recognize Federal design is by the fanlight over the front door. This is an ornamental window often shaped like a fan just above the front door.

Cape Cod

• The Cape Cod home is a popular style used throughout New England and beyond. In the early 18th century English settlers adapted the design of homes from Britain to the often-stormy weather. The result was the Cape Cod design. The design features a steep roof atop a one-and-a-half-story home with dormer windows in the roof upstairs. The homes are symmetrical and have a centered entry door. They are generally built with a shingled or clapboard exterior and shutters on the windows. Inside is a center hall layout and these homes typically have hardwood floors.

Ranch Style

• The ranch-style home, also known as the California ranch home, is a style first used in homes in the Western states in the 1930s. They became very popular options in the 1950s and '60s as people moved out of the cities and into the suburbs because of the rise in availability of the automobile for commuting. The homes are identified by single-story, pitched roof design, a low profile, sliding patio doors, picture windows and an attached garage.

Victorian

• Victorian architecture in America began in the early 19th century and gained momentum following the Civil War. Also referred to as American Gothic, the Victorian homes in America borrowed traits from the Italianate, Second Empire, Stick-Eastlake and Queen Anne architectural styles. The homes built following the war were often quite flamboyant and complicated with lots of cluttered rooms, but exterior wooden "gingerbread" decor and, eventually, bright colors defined them as some of the most visually stunning homes in the country. They often use angled bay windows, columned porches, corniced eaves and gabled rooflines.

Craftsman Bungalow

• From 1900 to 1930, craftsman bungalow homes were prominent in America. The name of the architectural movement combined the arts and crafts movement for interior design with the bungalow construction for the exterior. Bungalows are identified by a low-pitched gabled roof, wide overhanging eaves, exposed rafters and mixed exterior materials, often including woodwork and handcrafted stone.