Built Primer

The architecture of the United States has included a wide variety of styles throughout its history. Home styles in the U.S. are regionally diverse and the shapes they have taken on have been influenced by many other types of architecture.  The result is an eclectic mix of different home styles can often be found within the same neighborhood, even on the same block.  Here are some of the most popular types of houses that can be found in most parts of America.

The Cape Cod style home originated in colonial New England and they were built as early as the 1600s through the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. In colonial days, a Cape Cod house was a simple, one-story structure made of wood with a single chimney in the center and a symmetrical appearance. Cape Cod houses have a steep roof with side gables, dormers for light, shutters, and little exterior ornamentation.

Georgian Colonial was a popular architectural style during the 1700's through the 1850s and can be mainly found in the east and south. Spacious and comfortable, Georgian Colonial homes are square and symmetrical in shape with a paneled door in the center.  A distinctive, decorative crown usually adorns the entrance before a medium pitched roof.  Columns or flattened columns can be found on either side of the door.  Sound familiar?  The most famous example of late Georgian architecture is the White House.

In the mid-19th century, many prosperous Americans believed that ancient Greece represented the spirit of democracy. It is no wonder then that during this time period, Greek Revival was a popular form of architecture.  Greek Revivals have details reminiscent of the Parthenon, with pillars and a stately appearance.  Greek Revival houses usually have a symmetrical shape, pedimented gables, and bold-but-simple moldings.  Many Greek Revival houses also tend to have a front porch with columns, decorative pilasters, and narrow windows.

The Queen Anne style became an architectural fashion in the 1880s and 1890s.  The industrial revolution brought new technologies that enabled builders to use pre-cut exterior trim that had been mass produced to create whimsical looking houses. Victorian Queen Anne homes often have round or square towers, turrets, wrap-around porches, and other fanciful details. Queen Anne houses may also have a steep roof, front facing gables, an asymmetrical shape, bay windows, and ornamental spindles and brackets.

With Tudor Revivals, the name almost suggests that these houses were built in the 1500s  during the Tudor Dynasty in England, but really they are early 20th century re-inventions of Medieval cottages and even palaces. In fact, they are also referred to as Medieval Revivals. Tudor Revival houses have decorative half-timbers exposed to give the appearance of a medieval house. They may even include a false thatched roof. Decorative woodwork and some brick-work can be found on the exterior walls.  Tudor style homes may also have steeply pitched roofs, massive chimneys, prominent cross gables, and narrow windows with small panes.

Victorian Stick houses grew in popularity during the mid-19th century.  Victorian Sticks can often be mistaken for Tudor Revivals, as they also have exposed timbers or "stickwork" and other details borrowed from medieval times.  However, most Tudor Revival houses are sided with stucco, stone, or brick, while Victorian Stick style houses are usually made with wood.  Victorian Stick homes tend to have a rectangular shape, steep gabled roofs, overhanging eves, and decorative braces and brackets.

Colonial Revival became a standard in the 19th and 20th centuries as Americans sought to express their patriotism and return to classic architectural styles. During that time, builders romanticized colonial architecture, designing rectangular brick homes that were 2 to 3 stories tall.  The living areas are on the first floor and bedrooms are on the upper floors.  Colonial Revival houses have a symmetrical façade, brick or wood siding, simple detailing, a gabled roof, and dormers.  Some may even have a temple-like entrance, with pillars or columns and porticos topped by pediments.  The Colonial Revivals were so popular, homes of this style were still being built until the mid-1950's.

California Bungalows, Craftsman Bungalows, and Chicago Bungalows were variations of affordable housing type that swept across the U.S. throughout much of the 20th century.  Bungalow houses come in many styles, but most have simple box-like, horizontal shapes, are one and a half stories tall, have an efficient floor plan with living spaces on the ground floor, rooms connected by hallways, and a living room at the center.  The kitchens also tend to have built-in cabinets, shelves, and seats.

The Foursquare style home, sometimes called the Prairie Box, was pioneered by Frank Lloyd Wright in the early 20th century. As the name suggests, they have a simple box shape and a four-room floor plan. Simple Foursquare houses were built in brick, stone, stucco, concrete block, or wood and have large central dormers.  Full-width porches with wide stairs are also popular in Foursquare style architecture.

Uncomplicated Ranch houses evolved from several 20th century styles, including ramblers and bungalows.  Sometimes referred to as a California Rambler, Ranch Style houses are usually one-story tall and rectangular, L-shaped, or U-shaped in design.  They tend to have a low-pitched gable roof, deeply-set eaves, attached garages, large windows and sliding glass doors.

About the Author:

Matt Barker is a professional Realtor specializing in Minneapolis real estate. A proven expert, it is Matt's passion for customer service that sets him apart. Contact Matt anytime for info on Minneapolis and the surrounding Twin Cities area, including Big Lake MN real estate.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Architectural Styles Primer

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Built Primer is a post from: Women's Backpacks

I remember one special Christmas morning, when dad and mother yawningly turned the Christmas tree lights on in the corner of the living room, illuminating all the wonders that Santa had brought the night before. This was before television and computers and well before video games.

As though it was yesterday, just as the morning light was seeping through the windows, I saw a red cowboy hat and a Roy Roger's gun and holster set under the tree. On the other side of the tree there was a tan cowboy hat and pistol set. This one was for my younger brother.

As I recall, that was the extent of my Christmas gifts. By today's standards it was sort of skimpy, but our family couldn't have enjoyed the day more. In addition to our genuine cowboy outfits, Santa Claus brought mom a new hand bag while dad got another tie. It was a wonderful Christmas morning!

The day however, was just beginning. After my brother and I had chased off any outlaw or renegades that might have sneaked into our house during the night, we greedily ate some of the apples, oranges and nuts that Santa had scattered under the tree. Back then these fruits were a delicacy we only enjoyed on Christmas morning and rarely were there any left for the next day.

It may seem as if I'm painting a picture of a poverty stricken household, but on the contrary, we were somewhat more affluent than most of our neighbors. It was just a simpler and more innocent time with each gift important to us. Receiving only a few items at Christmas seemed to give make those gifts more precious, if you can call a Roy Rogers genuine cap gun and holster set precious.

When things began to settle down a little and the wrapping paper was packed up and stowed in trash cans, the ribbons carefully save in a box for next year, mom began Christmas dinner. In the south back then, lunch was dinner and dinner was supper. I still wonder why the terminology changed; must have been Yankee influence.

Even though Thanksgiving's feast had only been a month before, Christmas dinner always was a little more spectacular, if only in the sweets department. There were no counting calories when I was a kid, especially on Christmas day. In addition to my mother's contribution of sweets, my Aunts always came over and brought with them ridiculous amounts of sugary delights, all of which would be eaten.

By dinner time the house was full of the fragrances of ham, turkey, sweet potatoes and every kind of side dish you can imagine. Thanksgiving dinner had been just a warm up for the main event. Christmas was the when relatives you hadn't seen since Aunt Bertha's funeral showed up for dinner. That year was no exception!

Mom always made the coconut cake and fruitcake. It was her specialty and no one would even try to match her on either one of those. I'm not sure of the recipe, but she made her cake with real coconuts. I recall her cracking the hard shell with a hammer, draining the milk into a glass and then prying out the coconut, which she shredded. No packaged pre-shredded coconut for her!

An hour before the table was set, Aunt Vida arrived with two of her chocolate pies and enough fudge to feed Rhode Island. Aunt Helen balanced a real German Chocolate cake in one hand and a gallon of boiled custard in the other. These were in the center ring of our Christmas dinner circus.

While other folks brought food items, none were in the same class as my mother's Coconut cake and my two aunts' chocolate pie and German chocolate cake. Sometimes there was a little controversy as to whose boiled custard was the best. No one ever really won that argument!

While none of us can turn back the clock, this is a time for remembering special moments of the past. Maybe this year's Christmas will be a great memory for one of our kids. It's nice to think so.

About the Author:

Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at:
http://www.homeandgardenbob.com
http://www.redfishbob.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Roy Rogers Cap Pistols and German Chocolate Cake!

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Holster Red is a post from: Women's Backpacks