Familiarity comforts us. It is no surprise that when we choose a house, we often look for the comfortable or a institution from the context of our families. This may be one reason that Georgian-style houses are still common and popular, especially in the eastern U.S.. They’ve a long and productive history.
Georgian architecture began in England as the result of the Renaissance’s reaching the British islands in the middle of the 16th century, following its development from Italy and series in France. The Georgian interpretation of classical architecture flourished in England from the late 17th and early 18th centuries, coinciding with the establishment of their American colonies.
Americans constructed in the Georgian style for most of the 1700s, and it was not until the 1780s the nearly identical Adam style began to take over.
From the simplest terms, a Georgian-style home has a centered entrance door and two multipaned sash windows on all sides of the entry, occasionally with five aligning windows on a second level. Most but not all of are two stories, and sometimes they are three, along with there being urban townhouse versions.
Anna Berglin Design
It might appear surprising that out of such a rigid formula may come numerous combinations and these lots of detail. The colonial-era Georgian needed a formal design in theory, with architectural details often made by individual carpenters, masons and other skilled artisans. Pattern books of the time supplied guides, resulting in individual interpretations by its builders. Contemporary examples of the design follow first organization and have double-hung divided-light windows, but otherwise they vary considerably in implementation.
Though the home here is considered a Cape Cod, this sort of one-story design was popular in the Southern colonies during Georgian dominance. The negative gabled roof is one variation.
Others could have a hipped roof, a gambrel roof or a centered front-facing gable combined with either a hip or gable roof. Single-level originals normally have dormers, while two-story versions might or might not have them. Additionally, many Southern cases are brick construction; wood-frame construction is more typical in Northern originals.
Bonin Architects & Associates
Even not as common, some Georgians have rock exteriors, like this newer version. See that the entry is classically detailed, with sidelights and a fan light over the paneled entrance doorway, but lacks a protective roof. This is another substantial variation. Some Georgian homes have no entrance porch or cover, some have a very simple drop overhanging the entrance and some have considerably detailed porches.
If the porch extends beyond the entry to enclose different windows or the whole facade, the design is probably from the classical revival style. Chimney positioning varies also but usually increases the stout appearance of this style. Dentils trim the eave line; versions on this detail are often unique to every home.
Martha O’Hara Interiors
Contrast this 20th-century Georgian with all the previous example. A round porch accomplishes this painted brick-veneer home. Even though it’s similar to a dentil, the larger bracket-type detail under the eave soffit is referred to as a modillion. Quoins at the corners, keystones at the primary level windows and Corinthian columns at the entry porch bring about a rich expression. The unusual use of a French door to open onto the balcony of the entry porch farther individualizes this home.
Consider the simplicity of the Georgian plan. The next floor matches exactly atop the initial, along with the organization of rooms extends outside the central entry and inside hall where the staircase are placed. This functional and efficient design has stood the test of time.
Morgante Wilson Architects
Like I said, variations in roof form happen during Georgian-style architecture. A centered gable with a pediment jobs slightly from the front view of the example here.
The gabled entry porch has yet another pediment, while quoins and arched impressions from the brick over the lower-level windows farther express the theme. Notice the prominent modillions. The number and positioning of the second-floor windows is odd.
In smaller Georgian houses, there could be a single window on either side of the entry, in larger homes there could be as many as three on every side. Among three-, five- and seven-rank fenestration, five is undoubtedly the most frequent.
Highgate Builders
Very similar to the former home, this hip-roof model contains a centered forward-facing gable with a prominent pediment. Notice the arched windows with radiating muntins, the strips of timber dividing the glass panes, place from the gabled dormers.
Contemporary interpretations of Palladian windows put off the side sections. Unusual here you’ll discover the segmented arched windows of the primary facade. Originals occasionally had a brick lintel stacked vertically in this exact same form, but this window formation proved to be quite infrequent. There’s also a brick belt line, which is another element found in some, but not all, Georgians.
Witt Construction
In contrast to the previous examples, clapboard siding with prominent pilasters defines this closely comprehensive residence. A Palladian window concentrates attention over the entry, and stout chimneys pierce the middle of the hip roof.
An ironic flexibility exists within the Georgian style: Houses can be quite small, or they are sometimes the most extravagant mansions.
Neumann Lewis Buchanan Architects
Much like the previous example in composition, this clapboard house with a gable roof maintains a simpler appearance from the front. The eye is drawn to the minimally detailed entry, while a marvelous Palladian window rests over.
Neumann Lewis Buchanan Architects
Delight in the inside view of the Palladian window of the pervious example, place logically at the stair landing. Who wouldn’t want to go up and down this path every day?
Highgate Builders
This modern Georgian house exhibits the gambrel roof form, which could also be found in colonial originals. This roof isn’t to be confused with belonging to Dutch colonial design, which preceded Georgian.
DeMotte Architects
Within this 20th-century Georgian, a main, symmetrical front part (or altitude ) is flanked by varying but still arranged sections. The closely connected Adam design replaced Georgian at the turn of the 19th century. Classical revival, the design with big porches with prominent columns, supplanted Adam in the middle of the 1800s.
Early-20th-century tastes revived many previous fashions, including Georgian, although the advent of historic preservation and restoration made an affectionate following.
Roots in classical architecture and a strong and popular background continue to support conventional design through present times. Even in the event that you don’t reside in a traditional-style home, chances are there’s one close by.
Learn about more traditional house designs