Chicago Architecture: Our Local Geography

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Style	Description	Chicago Architectural Examples
COLONIAL STYLES
Early Spanish, French, English
Georgian	Among the most long-lived styles of American building. Named after King George III of England. Renaissance-inspired classical symmetry, two rooms deep, two rooms high (Four over Four plan), central or end chimneys, classical detailing, transom lights, pilasters around door. Hipped roof (British Georgian), or side-gable roof (American Georgian).
EARLY NATIONAL AND ROMANTIC STYLES
Federal/Adam	Fanlight over door (almost always rounded, rarely squared), sidelights, Classical/Greek detailing of entryway, Palladian windows, balustrades, oval/circular rooms in some high-style examples. Symmetrical as Georgian style. Windows: double-hung sash windows for first time (Georgian also). Based on plans of houses and palaces in Italy (Nero's Golden House in Rome): internal spaces of hexagonal, oval, circular forms. Known as Federal because the style flowered in early decades of U.S.The most famous federal-style "oval room" is undoubtedly the Oval Office of the White House.
Greek Revival	Gable or hipped, low-pitch roof; dentil cornice emphasized with wide band of trim -- cornice represents classical entablature (includes cornice, frieze, architrave); porches: square or rounded columns (usually Doric), first style to use gable-front floor plan (gable end facing the street, representing Greek temple), temple-front entryway with entry door surrounded by rectangular transom and sidelights (never rounded like federal). Dominant style in America, 1820-1850. Also called "national style" due to popularity. Known as the "Territorial style" in early Western towns, including Santa Fe, NM. Style diffused westward with settlers (especially New Englanders, across upstate New York), first American architectural style to reach West Coast.
Gothic Revival	Steeply pitched roof, cross-gabled, decorated vergeboards, pointed-arch windows, sometimes stained glass, like churches. Gothic window above entry, one-story porch with flattened, Gothic arches. The first appearance of picturesque (asymmetrical and unpredictable) floor plans, indicating the rise of the Romantic Era in America. Never as popular as Greek or Italianate styles. Mostly popular between 1840-1860 for houses. Popular style for churches nationally right up through the 1940s (WWII). Most abundant in the Northeast.
Italianate/Italian Villa	2 or 3 stories, rarely 1 story; low-pitched roof, widely overhanging eaves; large, decorative brackets beneath eaves; tall, narrow windows (most often on commercial buildings), commonly arched or curved above; some with square cupola or tower (campanile), elaborate wrap-around porch (or smaller entry porch) with decorative Italianate double columns and other details. Dominated American houses between 1850-1880. Common in expanding towns and cities in Midwest, and still-growing older cities in Northeast. Least common in the South. Very common in San Francisco.
VICTORIAN-ERA STYLES
Second Empire	Basically Italianate style/forms with Mansard roof!! Dormer windows, sometimes a square (not round) tower, decorative brackets, molded cornice, similar to Italianate detail on windows, doors; Floor plan often includes pavilions: outward projection of a building's center or side. The first true style of the Victorian era in the U.S. (roughly 1860-1900). Style was most popular in the Northeast, Midwest; rare in the South.
Romanesque Revival	Round arches over windows and/or entryways; thick, cavernous entryways and window openings; thick masonry walls, rounded towers with conical roof; facades are asymmetrical; variable stone and brick façade. On elaborate examples, polychromatic facades with contrasting building materials.Two phases of this style: (1) Americans experimented with early versions: 1840s-1850s. Early Romanesque structures resembled Gothic predecessors with Roman forms. Mainly for public buildings.
Queen Anne/Stick/Eastlake	Steeply pitched, irregular roof shapes; dominant, front-facing gable; patterned shingles, bay windows, picturesque massing (see Gothic Revival), polychromatic and decorative ornamentation; partial or full-width porches of one story; multiple gables and dormers; occasional towers and turrets, rounded or square. Differing wall textures are their "hallmark". This is the most eclectic style of the Victorian era. Name of style: suggested eclecticism (variety) to its originators. Coined in England to describe buildings supposedly inspired by pre-Georgian, late Medieval styles with half-timbered and/or masonry. Richard Norman Shaw: most prominent architect in England to promote Queen Anne.
Folk/Folk Victorian	Porches with spindlework detailing, L-shaped or gable-front plan, cornice brackets, details often with Italianate and/or Queen Anne inspiration, sometimes Gothic. Basically, working-class or middle-class versions of Queen Anne. Simpler details and basic, asymmetrical floor plans. The spread of Folk Victorian (and other late 19th century styles) was made possible by railroads expanding into smaller towns and cities. Mass-produced wood features could be transported quickly and cheaply almost anywhere. Home builders often simply added trim and ornament to traditional folk houses.

Sserrano	Latest page update: made by Sserrano , May 25 2011, 11:55 AM EDT (about this update About This Update Edited by Sserrano 309 words added view changes - complete history)
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