One of the most outstanding houses in the McKnight Historic District in Springfield, MA, the 1890 W.M. McKnight House is a late example of the Shingle Style, a variation of the Queen Anne style.
The 250-acre historic district contains 850 buildings, most constructed between 1870 and 1910. William McKnight and two of his brothers developed the district and built most of the houses. This remarkable neighborhood led to Springfield being nicknamed “The City of Homes.”
Shingle Style houses often have masonry first stories, typically fieldstone and/or boulders in rural or resort settings and dressed stone or brick in suburban or urban settings. This suburban example has dressed stone.
Understanding the style of a house is the first step in identifying its character-defining features. Prioritizing the preservation or restoration of those features should be the foundation of any plan to make a historic home functional for modern life.
Shingle Style is one of 25 styles and types covered 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 online shop, YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
Our shop also carries select preservation and restoration titles by other authors. Save with our multi-book combo packs!
© Scott T. Hanson 2023
#antiquehome #antiquehomes #traditionalarchitecture #historicalhomes #historicalhouse #historic #oldhousecharm #oldhome #oldhouse #preservation #preserveourhistory #houseandgarden #aplacetocallhome #homerestoration #houserestoration #ownapieceofhistory #vintagehome #architecturelover #restoringyourhistorichouse #yourhistorichome #restoration #houserehab #historicpreservation