Historic Houses – Identifying Architectural Style

If you own or are thinking of purchasing a historic home one of the first things you may be interested in is properly identifying its architectural style. While some properties present obviously as a particular style, or have already been identified through research or expert analysis, others may be less easily pinned down. It can be daunting to know where to begin in defining this important aspect of any historic house, but knowing what details to pay attention to in the first place can be a great help in starting the process.

A few essential details to evaluate include:

• Roof form (i.e. side-gabled or front-gabled, steep-pitch or low-pitch)
• Presence and/or style of roof dormers (i.e. hipped, gabled, pedimented, oval, etc.)
• Other roof elaborations (i.e. towers, cupolas, balustrades, etc.)
• Presence and/or style of porch (i.e. entry, full-height entry, wrap-around, etc.)
• Presence and/or style of railings (i.e. spindled, classical balusters, Chinese Chippendale, etc.)
• Door styles & embellishments (i.e. transom lights, fanlights, pilasters, pediments, etc.)
• Window styles & embellishments (i.e. casement, Palladian, pediment, etc.)
• Building material used (i.e. brick, stucco-over-stone, clapboard, etc.)

These are just a few of the many details and forms to note, and homes from each period and style will require a different focus, but hopefully knowing some of the places to begin will prove helpful in getting the ball rolling.

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For more local house histories from around the River Valley region, follow me on Instagram – @HistoricHouses and on Facebook – @HistoricNJ

If you have any questions about historic architectural styles, or if you are looking to buy or sell a historic home soon, please feel free to contact me at anytime.

Matthew Jacobs, Realtor & Historic Home Specialist

River Valley Realty

45 N. Main Street Lambertville, NJ 08530

matt@mattsjacobs.com ​

​(609) 397 3007 office

(646) 339 7257 mobile