Colonial Revival: 1880-1955

By the end of the nineteenth century a return to the classical forms based on the early English and Dutch houses in America had already taken hold as a building style. These were seen in the architect inspired designs of the late Victorian houses built for wealthy clients. This same period also saw a resurgence in classical design fueled by the 1893 Colombian Exposition.

The entrance at 52 Potter Place has the center door with sidelights, fanlight and the pediment/column detail is on the face of the structure. It has the original shingle siding and wood shutters with cut-outs in the top panel.

During the 1920s and 30s "modern" architects flirted briefly with Prairie and Craftsman styles but eventually American architecture, interrupted first by World War I and then the Depression, succumbed to the classical style reflective of its Old World beginnings.

As the century progressed, Colonial Revival came to dominate home building styles and remains a popular house design to this day. Fairport is fortunate to have all of these eclectic styles: Colonial Revival, Neoclassical, Tudor Revival and French Eclectic represented in its housing stock.

As in the house forms we have just left, mechanical developments greatly influenced this eclectic period. We have already seen the impact of the scroll saw and the availability of precut house trims on the development of earlier vernacular styles. We will see this again in the development of inexpensive masonry veneer on the next three housing styles.

This home at 69 W. Church Street has a center entrance with leaded-glass sidelights, and pedimented porch roof with columns. There are modillions under the eaves and corner pilasters. The windows are grouped in threes on the first floor and above the entrance. There are three dormers and an enclosed side wing.

Characteristic Details

Form

Prior to 1910, early Colonial Revival forms were asymmetrical (not balanced). Eventually, a side-gabled, centered, symmetrical frame became the common form. Constructed of solid masonry in the early days and limited to more expensive homes, the development of artificial masonry (veneer) allowed homeowners to add a thin veneer of brick to the exterior of their modest wood frame home. Brick veneer applied to the front facade of the first floor and paired with a second story overhang is a common detail of the Revival style.

Roofs and Cornices

In the early days of the style, hipped and gambrel (Dutch Colonial) roofs with dormers and overhangs were prevalent. Cornices continued to be important features with dentil and decorative block molding.

The center entrance door with sidelights is common in the Colonial Revival style home. 110 West Church Street, built in 1910, also has two-story pilasters at the corners and there is an open side wing to the right.

Entrances

As with their Georgian and Adam predecessors, it is all about the door. Elaborate front doors were accentuated with a decorative crown, pilaster, or columns that extend forward to form an entry porch that supports a broken pediment. A porch with a curved underside is a favored Colonial Revival detail.

Windows

Double-hung with six, eight or nine panes; when bay, paired or triple windows are present they clearly indicate a Colonial Revival house.

For an index of other styles that can be found in the Perinton area go to the Architectural Styles page in the History section.