Spotted on my recent road trip… an Italianate style villa in Chautauqua, New York.
The Italianate and Gothic Revival styles are known for introducing romantic asymmetrical silhouettes to American homes, with towers, porches, bay windows, and other elements that broke up the simple rectangular box of earlier houses. Popularized by plan books by Andrew Jackson Downing and others, the style spread from coast to coast.
This is a nice example of the “villa” form, with a tower tucked into the angle of the cross-gable plan. The style got a toehold before the Civil War and took off after the war.
Understanding what style your house is and what the significant characteristics of the that style are is essential to planning a good restoration.
Italianate is one of 25 styles described and illustrated with multiple images in Chapter 2 of “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners.”
The 720-page award-winning and best-selling and award-winning hardcover book now available in bookstores and from online retailers.
Signed and personalized copies are only available in our shop, https://yourhistorichouse.com/shop/.
Bookstores can order copies from W.W. Norton.
Want to learn more about historic house styles? “A Field Guide to American Houses” by Virginia McAlester, is the classic volume on the subject and is also available in our shop.
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