
The Colonial Revival
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 ...
seeks to revive elements of
American colonial architecture
American colonial architecture includes several building design styles associated with the Colonial history of the United States, colonial period of the United States, including First Period English (late-medieval), Spanish Colonial, French Colon ...
.
The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the
Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the architectural traditions of their colonial past.
Fairly small numbers of Colonial Revival homes were built –1910, a period when
Queen Anne-style architecture was dominant in the United States.
From 1910–1930, the Colonial Revival movement was ascendant, with about 40% of U.S. homes built in the Colonial Revival style.
In the immediate post-war period (–early 1960s), Colonial Revival homes continued to be constructed, but in simplified form. In the present day, many New Traditional homes draw from Colonial Revival styles.
Although associated with the architectural movement, "Colonial Revival" also refers to
historic preservation
Historic preservation (US), built heritage preservation or built heritage conservation (UK) is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance. It is a philos ...
,
landscape architecture
Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor areas, landmarks, and structures to achieve environmental, social-behavioural, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic design and general engineering of various structures for constructio ...
and
garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...
design, and
decorative arts
]
The decorative arts are arts or crafts whose aim is the design and manufacture of objects that are both beautiful and functional. This includes most of the objects for the interiors of buildings, as well as interior design, but typically excl ...
movements that emulate or draw inspiration from colonial forms.
Characteristics
While the dominant influences in Colonial Revival style are
Georgian architecture, Georgian and
Federal architecture
Federal-style architecture is the name for the classical architecture built in the United States following the American Revolution between 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815, which was influenced heavily by the works of And ...
, Colonial Revival homes also draw, to a lesser extent, from the
Dutch Colonial style and post-medieval English styles. Colonial Revival homes are often eclectic in style, combining aspects from several of these previous styles.
Since Colonial Revival architecture pulls structural and decorative elements from other styles, there is not one single combination of elements that defines the style. However, some commonly found characteristics of Colonial Revival buildings include:
* Gabled, hipped, or gambrel roofs
* Broken pediments
* Symmetrical facades
* Double hung windows and shutters
* Fanlights and sidelights
Cyril M. Harris's ''American Architecture: An Illustrated Book'' noted that "Colonial Revival houses are usually the result of a rather free interpretation of their prototypes; they tend to be larger, may differ significantly from the houses they seek to emulate, and often exaggerate architectural details."
Gallery
File:Robinson Hall at LA Tech IMG 3763.JPG, Historic Robinson Hall on the Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University (Louisiana Tech, La. Tech, or simply Tech) is a public university, public research university in Ruston, Louisiana, United States. It is part of the University of Louisiana System and Carnegie Classification of Institu ...
campus in Ruston, Louisiana
Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
, is named for the second president of the institution, William Claiborne Robinson
File:Hyattsville PO Nov 08.JPG, Colonial Revival post office in Hyattsville, Maryland
Hyattsville is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. It is an urban suburb of Washington, D.C. The population was 21,187 at the 2020 United States census.
History
Before Europeans reached the area, the upper Anacostia ...
File:Henry M. Jackson's Home-1.jpg, Colonial Revival home of Henry M. Jackson
Henry Martin "Scoop" Jackson (May 31, 1912 – September 1, 1983) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. representative (1941–1953) and U.S. senator (1953–1983) from the state of Washington (state), Washington. A Cold W ...
in Everett, Washington
Everett (; ) is the county seat and most populous city of Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is north of Seattle and is one of the main cities in the Seattle metropolitan area, metropolitan area and the Puget Sound region. Everett ...
File:UD North Green.JPG, Brown and Sypherd Residence Halls, University of Delaware
The University of Delaware (colloquially known as UD, UDel, or Delaware) is a Statutory college#Delaware, privately governed, state-assisted Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Newark, Delaware, United States. UD offers f ...
. Much of the central campus is built in Colonial Revival style.
File:16 24 062 little white house.jpg, The Little White House
The Little White House was the personal retreat of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States, located in the Historic District of Warm Springs, Georgia. He first came to Warm Springs (formerly known as Bullochville) in 19 ...
, Franklin D. Roosevelt's personal retreat near Warm Springs, GA
File:Town Hall Lawn.jpg, Mount Kisco Village Hall
File:Former Post Office, Manchester CT.jpg, Weiss Center
The Weiss Center, formerly the U.S. Post Office-Manchester Main is a historic building at 491 Main Street in Manchester, Connecticut. It was built in 1931 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 for its architecture. ...
, a town-owned facility in Manchester, Connecticut
Manchester is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, Capitol Planning Region. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the town had a total population of 59,713 ...
, was a former post office. It is made of brick with limestone trim and contains a portico.
File:Robert A. Stranahan residence, exterior views, 2019 - DPLA - 00fd9309adad9c0eda449b55e3b2b491 (page 1).jpg, The Robert Stranahan residence in Toledo, Ohio
Toledo ( ) is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the western end of Lake Erie along the Maumee River. Toledo is the List of cities in Ohio, fourth-most populous city in Ohio and List of United Sta ...
, now a part of Wildwood Preserve Metropark
Wildwood Preserve Metropark is a nature reserve and historic estate located in Sylvania Township, Ohio. Wildwood is the most-visited of the 19-park Metroparks Toledo district.
Metroparks Toledo purchased the property in 1975 following a citize ...
File:FSHS front.jpg, Fairmont Senior High School
Fairmont Senior High School, is a Public High School, public high school in Fairmont, West Virginia. The current school building, built in 1928, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Serving grades nine through twelve, it is one ...
, a public secondary school in Fairmont, West Virginia
Fairmont is a city in Marion County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. The population was 18,313 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in West Virginia, eighth-most populous city in ...
File:2016 Brooklyn College Library.jpg, The Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College is a public university in Brooklyn in New York City, United States. It is part of the City University of New York system and enrolls nearly 14,000 students on a campus in the Midwood and Flatbush sections of Brooklyn as of fall ...
Library, designed by architect Randolph Evans
See also
*
Colonial Revival garden
*
Dutch Colonial Revival architecture
Dutch Colonial is a style of domestic architecture, primarily characterized by gambrel roofs having curved eaves along the length of the house. Modern versions built in the early 20th century are more accurately referred to as "Dutch Colonial Re ...
*
Mission Revival Style architecture
The Mission Revival style was part of an architectural movement, beginning in the late 19th century, for the revival and reinterpretation of American colonial styles. Mission Revival drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century ...
*
New Classical architecture
New Classical architecture, also known as New Classicism or Contemporary Classical architecture, is a Contemporary architecture, contemporary movement that builds upon the principles of Classical architecture. It is sometimes considered the mode ...
*
Spanish Colonial Revival architecture
The Spanish Colonial Revival architecture (), often known simply as Spanish Revival, is a term used to encompass a number of revivalist architectural styles based in both Spanish colonial architecture and Spanish architecture in general. Thes ...
*
Wallace Nutting
*
Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum and private foundation presenting a part of the historic district in Williamsburg, Virginia. Its historic area includes several hundred restored or recreated buildings from the 18th century, wh ...
Further reading
* Alan Axelrod, ed. ''The Colonial Revival in America.'' New York: W.W. Norton, 1985.
* William Butler, ''Another City Upon a Hill: Litchfield, Connecticut, and the Colonial Revival''
* Karal Ann Marling, ''George Washington Slept Here: Colonial Revivals and American Culture, 1876–1986'', 1988.
* Richard Guy Wilson and Noah Sheldon, ''The Colonial Revival House'', 2004.
* Richard Guy Wilson, Shaun Eyring and Kenny Marotta, ''Re-creating the American Past: Essays on the Colonial Revival'', 2006.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Colonial Revival Architecture
American architectural styles
Colonial Revival Movement
Georgian architecture
House styles
Revival architectural styles
Revival architecture in the United States