1. Early Home Styles
Chapter 14

2. Although some homes today are truly modern creations, some are modifications of early American styles. Technological Advances have made it possible to adapt many designs.
In the past some designs would have been restricted by climate, terrain and the building materials available.
That is not so today.

3. To understand the influence of Early American housing on the styles today we need to study the housing of:
Native Americans
Settlers from the major countries that established colonies in North America

4. Native American Shelters
First people to live on the continent
Environment and culture were the two main influences on type of dwelling developed by each tribe

5. Environment determined which building material and the type of protection from the elements that was needed.
Culture which includes social organization, religious beliefs, methods of obtaining food, size of group, family or organization.

6. Characteristics
Simple structures with dirt floors and no windows or chimneys
They tended to be dark, smoky and crowded
Cooking was done over an open fire
There was little furniture
Weapons, tools and other possessions were stored on shelves or hung from walls

7. Native American Homes Teepee (central/western plains - portable)
 What materials were used to build these homes? - Animal hide, wooden frames, reed mats, young trees, bark, clay
Teepee (central/western plains - portable)
Wigwam (eastern woodlands – could house one or two families)
Longhouse (northeast Iroquois – farming tribes, could house several families)

8. Early Settlers
 The first colonists struggled to adapt to climate and finding food sources.
 They had few tools and materials to help them survive. Many made crude shelters out of propped up trees boughs, bark, clay, and rocks. Some adapted housing from the Native tribe.
 Materials - Wood, brick, plaster, straw, and glass

9. English Settlements
Between 1640 and 1720, small, isolated settlements grew into bustling towns with larger and more comfortable houses. Some roads were constructed and trade by land and sea grew.

10. Styles of Housing
Half-timbered house – wood frame of the house formed part of the outside wall. The space between beams were filled with brick or plaster.
Roof was thatch – which is made from bundles of reeds or straw.
Some were covered with shingles or clapboard.
Huge chimney served one or several fireplaces.
Windows were small to reduce heat loss.

11. Cape-Cod House House with simple rectangular design Central chimney
Pitched roof – two sided roof with a steep angle

12. Pitched roof is often called a gable roof because it forms triangular end walls known as gables

13. A new type of roof was invented – Gambrel roof
As families grew an ell or an extension was built at right angles to the length of the Cape Cod home.
The slope of the Cape Cod home restricted the size of rooms, door location, and furniture placement.
A new type of roof was invented – Gambrel roof
Two slopes on each side, the upper slope being flatter than the lower slope
Allowed the interior space for full sized upstairs rooms.

14. Salt Box House Two story, pitched roof style.
The need for extra space promoted some owners to build an additional set of rooms along the back of the house on the first floor.
They brought the roof line down to cover the addition.

15. Garrison House
Style of house copied from the Elizabeth houses found in England
Second story that overhangs or projects from the first story
Overhang was first used on forts, or garrisons, to prevent attackers from scaling the walls.

16. German Settlements
The Germans built large durable houses of wood and quarry stone

17. Dutch Settlements Used stone and brick to build houses
Some were 4 or 5 stories high
Used decorative brick work and intricate stepped gables
Roofs contained dormers (dormer windows)
Metal gutters and small windows with sliding shutters and a Dutch door (door divided in half horizontally)

18. Swedish Settlements
Cut trees into logs and laid them on one another horizontally
Logs were joined with notched corners and the joints were filled with clay, bark and moss
It’s length rarely exceeded that of a single log
Part of American folklore and many believe that it was an American building style

19. Spanish Settlements
First Europeans to establish colonies in the Americas in the early 1500’s
Made of coquina (a soft porous limestone composed of shell and coral)
17th century were covered with Adobe, brick or stucco (cement, sand and lime)
Rounded archways, windows and red till roofs.
Porches and balconies often went around the outside of the dwelling.
Some had inner courtyards.

20. French Settlements
Along the St. Lawrence River were built of stone or wood with high steep roofs common in the French country cottages in France.
Typical homes had small windows and heavy wooden shutters that could be closed to protect the occupants from cold weather.
Adapted when built in humid Southern Mississippi Valley by adding a covered porch around the house. Keep the house cool and protected from the rain.
French Quarter of New Orleans.