French Provincial architecture also known as French Eclectic architecture is a revivalist

architectural style An architectural style is a classification of buildings (and nonbuilding structures) based on a set of characteristics and features, including overall appearance, arrangement of the components, method of construction, building materials used, for ...

based on

Manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were usually held the lord's manorial courts, communal mea ...

s or chateaux homes which were built by French aristocrats beginning in the 1600s. The homes are characterized by arched doorways and symmetrically placed elements. They are usually two stories tall with steep hipped roofs. The design came to the United States after American servicemen returned from fighting in France during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

History

The houses which inspired French Provincial architecture were found in rural France from the 1600s. The architecture was inspired by the stylings of

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...

during the reign of

King Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the longest of any monar ...

. Homes found in

Normandy, France Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular Normandy (mostly the British Chann ...

are examples of the style. The first homes to be designed in the style were manor houses. French nobles built chateaus or manor houses with steep hipped roofs and an overall formal appearance. Architectural journals also refer to the style as French Eclectic architecture.

United States

In the United States following World War I the style became popular. American soldiers admired the architecture of rural France and when they returned from the war they built homes in the style. In the United States the style remained popular though the 1920s. By 1932 nearly one in three homes which appeared in the annual country house issue of the American magazine

Architectural Record ''Architectural Record'' is a US-based monthly magazine dedicated to architecture and interior design. Its editor in chief is Josephine Minutillo. ''The Record'', as it is sometimes colloquially referred to, is widely-recognized as an important ...

had French Provincial design elements. The style fell out of favor in the 1930s, but had a resurgence in the 1960s. In the United States architect Frank J. Forster promoted the style. He was recognized by his peers as a master of French Provincial architecture in 1927, 1928, and 1929.

Design

Elements of French Provincial architecture include narrow tall windows with shutters,

slate roof Roofing slates are roofing tiles made out of slate. The rock is split into thin sheets which are cut to the requires size before shipment. This contrasts to slabs which are milled to produce larger structural components. They are the primary produ ...

, copper gutters and symmetrically placed chimneys. The homes usually feature a rectangular floor plan. Exterior is usually brick or stucco with symmetrically placed exterior components. The design of doors is rectangular with an arched opening. The French provincial homes are two stories tall. The original modest designs ranged from modest farmhouses to wealthy aristocrat country estates.

References

{{commons category Architectural styles Architecture in the United States Architecture in France 17th-century architecture in Europe