1690s - 1830: Georgian Colonial House Styles

Photo © 2005 Jackie Craven

The symmetrical, orderly Georgian style became prominant in Colonial America. Shown here, a Georgian Colonial home in Sandwich, New Hampshire.

Georgian Colonial homes usually have these features:

• Square, symmetrical shape
• Paneled front door at center
• Decorative crown over front door
• Flattened columns on each side of door
• Five windows across front
• Paired chimneys
• Medium pitched roof
• Minimal roof overhang

Many Georgian Colonial homes also have:

• Nine or twelve small window panes in each window sash
• Dental molding (square, tooth-like cuts) along the eaves

About the Georgian Colonial Style

Georgian Colonial became the rave in New England and the Southern colonies during the 1700's. Stately and symmetrical, these homes imitated the larger, more elaborate Georgian homes which were being built in England. But the genesis of the style goes back much farther. During the reign of King George I in the early 1700's, and King George III later in the century, Britons drew inspiration from the Italian Renaissance and from ancient Greece and Rome.

Georgian ideals came to New England via pattern books, and Georgian styling became a favorite of well-to-do colonists. More humble dwellings also took on characteristics of the Georgian style. America's Georgian homes tend to be less ornate than those found in Britain.

Related Styles:

• Colonial Revival
• Federal
• Antebellum Architecture
• Colonial Styles: Picture Gallery of American Colonial House Styles

Further Reading:

• Great Georgian Houses of America(compare prices)