Chesapeake Bay real estate, New Homes In Maryland, Waterfront Real Estate Maryland

Georgian 1700-1830

This was the dominant style in the English colonies from 1700 to 1780 and locally to 1830. They were classic formal structures of brick or stone, side gabled, one or two stories, and one to two rooms deep. Doors and windows were aligned vertically and horizontally in strict symmetry and never paned. The front doors were usually paneled and surrounded by twin columns and capped with a decorative crown and glass transom. Later versions added dormers and decorative features.

Federal (Adam) 1780-1840

The Federal style became very popular for both homes and commercial structures. Realistically it is the Adam Period because it was a development and refinement of the Georgian style of the work produced by the fashionable architects, the Adam brothers in Scotland, and popularized by the wealthy class in or near the major American seaports. Look for a more stylistic design, often with attached wings of dependencies, that were curved or polygonal projections two or more rooms deep. Notable features changes were fan lights over the door, more elaborate details around the doors and windows and Palladian windows. Easton has an excellent version of a Federal townhouse.

Early Classical Revival 1770-1830

Championed by Thomas Jefferson, this architectural style was a popular estate home as well as a model for public buildings. The most notable feature was a large entry (portico) dominating the façade, usually an elaborate porch supported with columns. Early Classical Revival houses usually had one story wings on each side, in the style of the Italian Renaissance Palladium concept (three part plan).

Greek Revival 1825-1860

With increased interest in Greek democracy and romantic architecture, the next period emphasized classical Greek buildings with Greek style columns instead of Roman, gabled or hip roofs with a lower pitch and cornice lines dominated by wide trim. This style is identified by a full height entry or full building width porches. Front doors were usually by narrow rectangular windows (lights). There are many examples of flat roofs covering the house and the entry porch. As in the Classical revival style, Greek Revival was a popular design for public buildings.

Early Victorian 1855-1885

The Early Victorian houses were a radical departure from the colonial style. Big and boxy, they had distinctive roofs usually mansard, symmetrical façades with one or more towered projections, and elaborate decoration of windows, dormers and doors. The interior of Victorian homes departed radically from the classic “center hall” concept of earlier construction. The floor plans included double parlors and semicircular rooms.

Late Victorian 1860-1885

The homes of this period were called “Stick Houses”. They were gabled, with steeply pitched roofs with large overhangs. Projections were towered or flat roofed, the façade of wooded walls using shingles or boards of decorative detailing of horizontal, vertical or diagonal wooden trim called stick wood.

Queen Anne 1880-1910

There are several nice examples of Queen Anne architecture in the area, known for their steeply pitched roofs, asymmetrical facades in an irregular shape and a dominant facing gable. Queen Anne homes are characterized by towers, large bays and extensive porches. Look for wooden gingerbread trim in scrolled and rounded fish patterns. There are two versions, one based on numerous shapes and the second relies on bold patterns of decorative detailing. Above all, Queen Anne homes avoid flat surfaces and use a wide variation of textured wall patterns. The interior featured inventive multistory floor plans, first seen in the Victorian styles.

Neo-Classical 1895-1950

At the end of the 19th century, architectural tastes leaned towards modern variation of the early Classical Revival and Greek Revival homes. The façade of a neo-classical home was dominated by a full height porch supported by classical columns with a symmetric arrangement of doors and windows. A well balanced design was the keynote to this style. Early examples of Neo-Classical emphasized hipped roofs and elaborate reproduction of columns. The later construction featured side gable roofs with simpler more slender columns.

Colonial Revival 1880-1955

This is a widely popular home design mimicking pre colonial Georgian and Federal (Adam) architecture, ranging from exact reproductions to multiple variations of the original styles. Colonial revival houses often have asymmetrical facades and rambling additions. They also have numerous roof styles, often hipped and may not incorporate a stylized porch. Windows were multi-paned, paired or tripled as well as bay windows, a clear departure from the early colonial homes. There are so many versions of Colonial revival, it’s ??? to say that they are an eclectic mix from a simple version of a Cape Cod to a pretentious classical manor house.

Craftsman, Bungalow, Ranch 1905-1960

The craftsman architectural period during the first 40 years of the 20th century reflected the feelings of the time – which stressed simplicity and utility. Dominant features included one to one and one half stories, wide porches, usually gabled fronts, large eaves with rectangular, symmetrical plans. Craftsman designs evolved from bungalows and cottages which were modernized to completely remove traces of origin.

The most popular single family home from 1940 to 1980 is the ranch, which exemplifies simplicity with a strong sense of informality. They grew out of the modern style evolving from the Craftsman Bungalow, Prairie and Cottage designs. It was also referred to as a Rancher in the East or a Rambler on the West Coast. They were built during the post depression time through the post WW II era when use dominated form. The Ranch home is usually constructed in box-like sections, single story with a low pitched gable roof, and is often typified by the developments that sprang up in the suburbs, by the thousands, after World War II. Ranch style homes are devoid of ornamentation, they often included an attached garage and a patio in the rear which replaced the porches that dominated home construction during the previous 40 years. The original ranch style had a floor plan much like its exterior, box-like rooms with little character. Later versions emphasized openness, larger spaces, with rooms and hallways flowing into each other. Sliding doors and picture windows, were added opening the interior rooms to the yards or patio. The small ranch houses lined up in a row (cookie cutter houses) have graduated to rambling homes with 2000-3000 square feet with custom facades and distinctive design features.

Neo-Eclectic 1970- Present

If your home was constructed during the past 30 years, chances are that it incorporates many historic styles. Roofs, facades and decorative details borrowed from the past have created a mixture that is difficult to define. This mix and match routine has reached its peak in the construction of new houses, especially in the planned home developments that have virtually taken over almost all new construction in the the area and throughout the country. The developer/builders set a theme, that is, they chose an overall “look and feel” based on the historical styles of the area, using designs currently popular, adding attractive facades and above all, flexible floor plans that reflect the contemporary lifestyle. The “take it or leave it” approach as been replaced with custom and semi-custom plans, characterized by combining kitchens and large family (gathering rooms) making them the focal point of the house, no hallways, larger master bedrooms and over-the-top master baths. Living rooms and dining rooms have been diminished to the point becoming extra open space while greater emphasis on light has certainly improved the interior atmosphere.