American Colonial architecture spans a variety of styles that reflect the diverse origins of the early settlers in what would become the United States. Each style, from the simple Saltbox homes of New England to the grand Georgian mansions of the Mid-Atlantic, tells a story of adaptation, resourcefulness, and the blending of old-world traditions with the challenges of the new frontier. Hi everyone, Ken here, Let’s take a journey through the various types of American Colonial homes, exploring their unique characteristics by region, historical contexts, and going in depth for some notable examples. Hit that subscribe button and let’s explore This House! The harsh winters and dense forests of New England shaped the early colonial homes in  this region.

The Saltbox house is one of the most iconic, recognized by its long, sloping rear roof that gives it a distinctive asymmetrical profile.  This style evolved from the need for easy, practical construction that could withstand the New England weather. A prime example is the Parson Capen House in Topsfield, Massachusetts, built in 1683, which showcases the simplicity and sturdiness of the Saltbox design. Another quintessential New England style is the Cape Cod house, characterized by its steep roof, central chimney, and rectangular, one-and-a-half-story composition. These homes were designed for efficiency, with low ceilings and small windows to retain heat during the long, cold winters.

The Dutch settlers who arrived in the Hudson River Valley and parts of New Jersey brought with them building traditions from Holland and Flanders. Dutch Colonial homes are easily identified by their gambrel roofs, which allow for a full second story without the need for excessively high walls. These homes often featured stone or  brick construction, reflecting the Dutch preference for sturdy, durable materials. The Bronck House, also known as the Pieter Bronck House,  is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Upstate New York, built in 1663 by Pieter  Bronck, a Swedish settler with Dutch ties. Located in Greene County near Coxsackie,  this historic house is a well-preserved example of early Dutch and Swedish Colonial architecture.

Originally, the house was a simple, sturdy structure with thick stone walls and a steep gable roof. Over time, the Brunck family expanded the home. In 1738, Pieter’s grandson, Lender Brunck, added a larger brick house, connecting it to the original structure with a brick passageway. Another addition followed in 1792,  using construction techniques similar to the original building. In rural areas, the Dutch farmhouse became a common sight, with its long, linear plan and wide overhangs designed to protect the walls from the elements.

The Hankinson-Moreau-Coven Hoven House in Freehold, New Jersey, is a classic example, blending Dutch architectural elements with later Georgian influences.

However, In the warmer climates of the Southern colonies, homes took on a different character.  The Southern Colonial style is often associated with large, sprawling plantations, but it also influenced smaller homes throughout the region. These houses typically featured large porches or verandas, which provided shade and a place to catch breezes during the hot summer months. Completed by the early 1750s in Charleston, South Carolina, there is perhaps one of America’s best remaining examples of this substyle of residential architecture.

Drayton Hall, named after the Drayton family who called this grand estate home for seven generations, encapsulates the Palladian style not only on its exterior but within its exquisite interior. Before we enter the mansion, let’s take a look at some of its drawings, noting how each room is anchored to the first floor’s Great Hall. Furthermore, in this section, we can see how carefully proportioned each room is, following a strict grid not only for its layout but for its decorative elements as well. When exploring a grand manor, there is no better place to start than the entrance itself.

Arriving at the threshold, we can look up to layers of ornate molding framing the double doors.

Upon entering, there is a rapid expansion of space as the ceilings soar two stories overhead with a grand double staircase gracing the painted paneled walls. No surface is left unadorned, from hand-lathed newel posts to intricate carvings decorating the risers. We can  imagine how grand the Draytons must have appeared standing at the balcony, framed by an elaborate,  classically styled door surround as guests arrived through the front door. From here, we can continue from the stair hall into the Great Hall, where we are met by exquisitely carved wood paneling.

In this historic photo of the room, we can more accurately visualize just how little has been eroded by time.

Even with fading paint and cracked plasterwork, the timeless, unrelenting beauty of the room’s classically styled, and mathematically proportioned elements persists. The windows, with their deep sills, are framed by fluted pilasters with egg-and-dart molding in their capitals. And of the window surrounds that are still intact, we find festoons, rosettes, and  various tiny details in the woodwork reflecting the natural fauna just beyond the glass panes.

If we take the passage just to the left of the grand fireplace,  we will find the Ionic room. This room, which served as a parlor, was aptly named for its strict adherence to the classically inspired Ionic order.

Each of the pilasters in this room is topped with Ionic capitals that flare out at a slight angle before scrolling back in on themselves. We find an enlarged but mathematically similar scrolling composing the broken pediment on the fireplace’s upper mantel.

Let’s take a step back once again to  appreciate the symphony of these tiny details coming together to create a beautiful space. Traveling back into the Great Hall, we will hook around the fireplace to find the library glowing  in the afternoon sun. While the design of the wall panels is cohesive with the adjoining rooms, all of the distractions of intricate detailing have been phased out so that only a single decorative band of egg-and-dart molding continues across the wood-paneled walls.

This simplicity in the library aligns with the philosophy tied to the Palladian style, remembering the primary purpose of the room is for reading, writing, and thinking, and should not impose distractions. Cutting across the Great Hall diagonally, we will find the dining room through the passage  on the right. For the first time, we see red introduced into the paint scheme with creamy, off-white paneling, further tied together by the pigment found within the fireplace’s marble surround. Just behind the dining room’s fireplace,  the first-floor chamber mirrors its color scheme with different, complementing decorative elements.

While Drayton Hall might appear to be the epitome of Luxury for this time period, there is more to uncover as we delve deeper into the Colonial Era.

Caught somewhere between the Northeast and The South, we find The Pennsylvania Colonial style to be a blend of influences, reflecting the diverse population of the region, which included English, German, and Swedish settlers. Early homes in this area often adopted the Georgian style, with its formal symmetry and classical proportions. Hope Lodge in Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania, built in 1750, is a fine example of Georgian architecture in the colonies, with its balanced windows, central doorway, and brick construction.

However, not all homes in Pennsylvania followed the Georgian model. The Swedish settlers introduced the log cabin to America, a form that became popular throughout the frontier, expanding westward as settlers planted their roots, carrying with them this simple, hardy style of construction even into the mid 1800s where we find this style still being built in Kimmswick, Missouri.

Though the simple log cabin design reached the Midwest later, there were other colonial era styles that preceded it.

Backing up to when the American Colonial Style was taking root along the Atlantic Coast, French settlers in the deep interiors of North America developed the French Colonial style, which was well-suited to the hot, humid climate of the Mississippi River Valey. These homes  often featured broad, hipped roofs and wraparound gallery porches which provided shade and helped to  keep the interior cool. The Bequette-Ribault House in Ste. Geneviève, Missouri, built in 1778, is a  classic example of this style, with its timber frame construction and steeply pitched roof.

In New Orleans, the French Colonial style evolved to incorporate elements of Caribbean architecture,  resulting in the unique Creole cottages and townhouses that still define the  city’s historic districts.

The Madame John’s Legacy in the French Quarter,  built in 1788, is a well-preserved example of a Creole townhouse with  its characteristic high ceilings, large windows, and louvered shutters. And yet, there was one more major influence under the broader umbrella of American Colonial. The Spanish Colonial style is perhaps the most diverse of all the sub styles, reflecting the vast geographical area it covers, from Florida to California. In Florida,  the earliest Spanish Colonial homes were simple, one-room structures made from coquina or tabby,  materials that were readily available in the region.

The González-Alvarez House in  St. Augustine, Florida, built in 1723, is a beautifully preserved example of early Spanish Colonial architecture, with its thick walls, wooden shutters, and interior courtyard. In the Southwest, Spanish Colonial homes often featured adobe construction drawing influences from native building techniques along with flat roofs, and enclosed courtyards, creating a cool, private retreat from the harsh desert sun.

Perhaps there is no better example than the Spanish Governor’s Palace in San Antonio Texas. The keystone above the front entrance, adorned with the double-headed eagle from the coat-of-arms of Spanish King Ferdinand VI, proudly dates the building to around 1749.

The Palace itself is a marvel of 18th-century Spanish Colonial architecture.  Its U-shaped stone structure, built from brick and covered in stucco, encapsulates  a traditional Spanish patio and courtyard, offering a serene glimpse into the past. Here we can imagine wandering about the tiled walkway through lush gardens flanked by arcades  as we make our way over to the well to fetch fresh water for the day.

Our journey through  the courtyard is a tranquil escape from the city beyond its walls. As the lines between indoor  and outdoor

living become blurred, we find a private patio under the shade of a pergola.

The exterior finishes continue inside with terracotta tile floors resting below exposed wood ceiling beams. The dining room was designed to be large enough to host grand dinner parties in the light of a flickering fire. Nearby, the governor’s staff would have been hard at work in the kitchen preparing meals, making everything from scratch.

Taking a closer look, the wood burning oven and cook top give us a better idea of what working in this space was like. The palace continues on with large rooms, sparsely, but effectively decorated with objects of purpose.

As we wind our way through, we can imagine dozens of people spread all throughout, working at writing desks and bustling about. Being part of the mission, the palace had an education room to further the crown’s influence. The first bedroom we will see was perhaps the most lavish in all of Spanish Texas. Though  others were simple by comparison, they were still luxurious compared to life outside the palace. While we have covered the larger sub categories of Colonial, there remains a variety of regional  designs as cultures blended together in the New World, reinventing domestic architecture.

The intent of this video was to focus on the purest, most definitive categories of American Colonial, and on that note, it’s worth mentioning the First Period homes, which represent the very earliest phase of English settlement in America, from about 1607 to 1700.

These homes were often built with steeply pitched roofs, small casement windows, and massive central chimneys, reflecting the medieval building traditions that the settlers brought with them from England. The Fairbanks House in Dedham, Massachusetts, built around 1637, is the oldest known surviving timber-frame house in North America and a prime example of First Period architecture. American Colonial homes are as varied as the people who built them, reflecting a wide range of influences, climates, and available materials.

Whether it’s the rugged simplicity of a New England Saltbox, the stately elegance of a Georgian mansion, or the cool, shaded galleries of a French Colonial house, each style tells a story of adaptation and innovation.

These homes are not just relics of the past; they are living examples of America’s architectural heritage, still admired and preserved for their beauty, practicality, and historical significance. Which style is your favorite? Let me know down below in the comments section. And while you’re there, make sure you’re subscribed so you never miss a fascinating episode of This House.

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