Colonial American Architecture

Colonial American Architecture

A trip across the United States will show you stunning architecture from coast to coast. However, during the 1780s, the most popular architectural style was the American Colonial.

The houses were mostly constructed by wealthy Anglo Americans and came in a variety of styles depending on where you lived.These homes, also known as Colonial Georgian homes, were the first to grace the United States' colonies.

A saltbox is a prime example of early American Colonial architecture. The Saltbox is essentially a wooden frame house with a steeply pitched roof that slopes down to the back.

Its flat front has two stories while the back has only one, making the sides unequal but distinctly resembling an old salt box, which was a wooden box with a lid where salt was kept.

A simple name for a simple home style The chimney was generally centrally located, giving the house the appearance of a box with a lid and a handle to lift it from a distance.

Other distinguishing features of American Colonial architecture include the square, symmetrical shape; the front door located directly in the center of the house; and the even, straight line of windows throughout.

An entryway and a staircase are usually found inside the front door. All other rooms branch off of these. Typically, they were built of brick with wood trim, but with homes like the Saltbox, they were also timber frame homes built with woodworking joints rather than metal nails because metal nails were expensive. Wood siding was also used on saltbox houses.