A sweet Italianate style house of the 1850s in Erie, PA. 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 asymmetrical “villa” form, with a porch tucked into the angle of the L-shaped 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.”
Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available from the author in our shop, YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
Our shop also carries select preservation and restoration titles by other authors including Virginia McAlester’s classic “A Field Guide to American Houses.” Save with our multi-book combo packs!
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