In the 1600s and 1700s, hundreds of thousand of immigrants and settlers came to America (“US Immigration”). The rate of population growth in the new nation was high, and by 1776, its population was already 2.5 million (Moore), whereas England, the most dominant nation of the time, had a population of 8 million, or just three times more than its “child nation” (“Populations”). Immigrants came from around the world to become Americans, often seeking better propositions, religious freedom, or freedom from tyranny. Regardless of why they came, the immigrants and colonists brought a bit of their culture with them, eventually forming a unique American cluster of cultures.
When colonists arrived, they built houses and shops with the tools, materials, and methods common to their homeland. Consequently, America became a gathering of architectural styles. Four of these distinct styles are the New England Colonial, Cape Cod, Georgian, and Dutch Colonial, all of which are just as common today, as they were in the 17th and 18th centuries (Bulovska).
New England Colonial
The first to emerge was the New England Colonial Style. Built of wood, with economical wooden joints rather than nails , these rectangular houses started as symmetrical two-story structures. Homes were given a large central fireplace, which was replaced by two fireplaces at either end of the house in the later 1700s. They were often only one room deep, with 10-15 people living in them. Over time, as families grew or wanted more space, single-story additions were joined to the back of the house. Instead of building an entire new roof, colonists extended the original roof to cover the new addition, giving the roof a distinct lop-sided look. The long slope of the roof was called the ‘catslide’ and sometimes reached within six feet of the ground. Called salt-box roofs, these soon became an architectural style in themselves. People began building their homes from the start with the whimsical, uneven roof and additional room (Parker, “Saltbox”).
Cape Cod
Another variety that emerged in New England was the Cape Cod style, known for its small, cottage look. Interestingly, this style of home received the name ‘Cape Cod style’ in the mid-1800s when Reverend Timothy Dwight referred to them with that name in a book he wrote about New England. Cape Cod houses are rectangular with a steep roof to protect the house from the New England coastal weather. They were efficiently heated by a large central chimney connected to small fireplaces in each room.The wooden frame was clad in either wooden siding or shingles. More common than being painted, the shingles or siding was allowed to weather into a silvery gray--a color that only comes from the salty coastal air. Cape cod houses were 1 story, with another half-level beneath the steep roof. This ‘attic’ was generally used for storage or for a guest bedroom (Craven).
There are three different sizes of Cape Cod houses: the half cape, the three-quarter cape, and the full cape. The half cape, also known as the single cape, has the door to one side of the facade, or the front of the house, with two multi-paned windows to one side. As need arose, a half cape could be modified into a three-quarter cape. A three-quarter cape is designed like a half cape but with an additional wing and window, making the facade a door with two windows to one side, and one window on the other. Full capes were rare in Colonial America, reserved for only the richest. The full cape’s facade is highlighted by a central door with two multi-paned windows to either side. Today, the full cape is the most common of the three (Parker, “Cape”).
Georgian
The Georgian style of architecture reached it peak popularity in the colonies in the 1700s. Taken from England during the reigns of George I through George III, this style is more popular today than it was among the colonists, mainly due to cost: Georgian homes were made of expensive red bricks, often with decorated facades. This resulted in Georgian architecture being used for government offices, prominent public buildings, and homes for the rich. Their two-storied facades were symmetrical, with rows of shuttered windows situated around the front door. Any porches were supported by white columns, and a chimney was situated on each end of the house.
Dutch Colonial
The Dutch colonial style was most prevalent during the mid-1700s in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Because the term ‘Dutch’ at that time referred to the Germans, Flemish, and French-Belgians, the Dutch Colonial style has design elements from many countries (Flippo). Dutch Colonial homes were made of stone or brick, unlike most other British Colonial homes. The most famous feature of these homes is the gambrel roof. This striking style, most commonly seen on barns, has two pitches: the first close to 30 degrees, and the second close to 70 degrees. Often, one side of the roof sweeps out to form a porch supported by wood pillars. Not only visually unique, the roof pitches provide enough volume for another story inside the roof. Dormer windows were added to provide light to the second story. In the late 1700s, the gambrel roofs became somewhat of an unintentional loophole. In 1789, the nation’s first property taxes were levied, which taxed one-story homes lighter than two-storied ones; houses with a gambrel roof were classified as having one story. With the Dutch Colonial style came Dutch doors, which can be opened as a whole or only the top-half. This capability allowed fresh air to move through the house during the summer. The facade, or the front of the house, had windows situated symmetrically on either side of the front door (Parker, “Dutch”).
These four styles, the New England Colonial, Cape Cod, Georgian, and Dutch Colonial, can be seen in neighborhoods today. Just as colonists borrowed from older European designs, so have we borrowed from the colonists. Today, different styles can be seen as immigrants from around the world continue to bring their cultures to America.
Bibliography:
“ US Immigration Trends in the 1700's: The Colonial Period.” Emmigration.info, Siteseen Limited, 2017, www.emmigration.info/us-immigration-trends-1700s.htm.
Bulovska, Katerina. “American Colonial Architecture - a Mixture of Styles Brought by the Colonists from Their Homeland.” Walls with Stories, 23 May 2017, www.wallswithstories.com/uncategorized/american-colonial-architecture-a-mixture-of-styles-brought-by-the-colonists-from-their-homeland.html.
Craven, Jackie. “About the American Cape Cod Style House.” ThoughtCo, 1 Dec. 2018, www.thoughtco.com/cape-cod-house-style-178007.
Flippo, Hyde. “How Did the Pennsylvania Dutch Get Their Name?” ThoughtCo, 24 Sept. 2018, www.thoughtco.com/how-pennsylvania-dutch-get-their-name-4070513.
Moore, Derick. “July 4th: Celebrating 243 Years of Independence.” The United States Census Bureau, 2 July 2019, www.census.gov/library/stories/2019/07/july-fourth-celebrating-243-years-of-independence.html#:~:text=places%20and%20economy.-,The%20U.S.%20population%20was%202.5%20million%20in%201776.,larger%20today%20at%20330%20million.
Parker, Henry. “Cape Cod Architectural Style.” Home Reference, 2021, homereference.net/cape-cod/.
Parker, Henry. “Dutch Colonial Architectural Style.” Home Reference, 2021, homereference.net/dutch-colonial/.
Parker, Henry. “Saltbox Architectural Style.” Home Reference, 2021, homereference.net/saltbox/.
“Populations Of Great Britain And America.” Encyclopedia.com, Encyclopedia.com, 2019, www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/populations-great-britain-and-america#:~:text=In%201775%20the%20British%20had,the%20potential%20arms%2Dbearing%20population.
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