Guide to Stylistic Influences/Architectural Styles

The following architectural style reference is presently under construction. Most of the styles below are most closely associated with houses, although were applied to commercial and institutional buildings. Additional styles to be added. Note that date ranges are approximate.

Much of the information in this guide was added from draft local historic district design guidelines that were created by the Heritage Society of Austin and are presently under review. Additional detail and more styles will be added to this guide over time. See more resources for identifying architectural styles.

Victorian Styles

A. Queen Anne (1880-1910)

• Building Form: L-plan, modified-L, or irregular.
• Exterior Walls: Usually wood siding or wood shingle, but sometimes brick or stone. Often with a variation of materials and textures.
• Foundation: Often screened with skirting of wood, pressed metal, brick, or stone.
• Porch: Feature decorative woodwork, such as turned balusters and spindle friezes. Wraparound porches common. Porch floors often wood and porch ceilings often bead board.
• Roof: Cross-gabled, gable-on-hip, hipped, or pyramidal, often with dormers.
• Windows: Typically double-hung wood sash. Bay windows common character-defining features.
• Doors: Typically wood, often with glazing, transoms, and/or sidelights.
• Chimneys: Commonly brick or stone, often with decorative tapestry brick or corbelling. Sometimes metal stovepipe substitutes for chimney.

• Building Form: L-plan, modified-L, pyramidal-roof-square-plan, or hipped-roof-square-plan.
• Exterior Walls: Usually wood siding or wood shingle.
• Foundation: Often screened with skirting of wood, pressed metal, brick, or stone.
• Porch: Feature decorative woodwork, such as turned balusters and spindle friezes. Porch floors often wood and porch ceilings often bead board. Decorative detail typically prefabricated.
• Roof: Cross-gabled, gable-on-hip, hipped, or pyramidal.
• Windows: Typically double-hung wood sash.
• Doors: Typically wood, sometimes with glazing, transoms, and/or sidelights.
• Chimneys: Brick or stone, if extant. Sometimes metal stovepipe substitutes for chimney.

Revival Styles

A. Romanesque Revival

• Building Form: Center-passage, L-plan, or two-story center-passage plan.
• Exterior Walls: Brick and/or stone masonry, often with rusticated texture. Figural stone carving may adorn wall surfaces.
• Foundation: Often screened with brick, or stone.
• Porch: Portico or porch with round-arched entries; may be supported by short-tapered stone columns or piers or recessed into façade.
• Roof: Flat, cross-gabled, or hipped.
• Windows: Typically double-hung wood sash. Window openings often arched.
• Doors: Typically wood, sometimes with glazing, transoms, and/or sidelights.
• Chimneys: Brick or stone, if extant.

B. Italianate (1840-1885)

• Building Form: Center-passage, L-plan, two-story center-passage plan, or irregular.
• Exterior Walls: Wood siding, brick, or stone masonry. Stone quoins common at the corners of masonry examples.
• Foundation: Often screened with wood, pressed metal, brick, or stone.
• Porch: Often lacks porch. Entrance may be protected by an awning supported by brackets, or a small portico supported by columns.
• Roof: Flat, cross-gabled, or hipped. Bracketed eaves and ornate, molded cornices typical.
• Windows: Typically double-hung wood sash. Segmental-arched windows with ornate window surrounds common.
• Doors: Typically wood, sometimes with glazing, transoms, and/or sidelights.
• Chimneys: Brick or stone, if extant.

C. Classical Revival/Greek Revival

• Building Form: Center-passage or two-story center-passage plan, or irregular.
• Exterior Walls: Wood siding, brick, or stone masonry.
• Foundation: Often screened with wood, pressed metal, brick, or stone.
• Porch: Full-width porch supported by columns or pilasters with decorative capitals. May have second story balcony.
• Roof: Flat, side-gabled, or hipped.
• Windows: Typically double-hung wood sash.
• Doors: Typically wood, sometimes with glazing, transoms, and/or sidelights.
• Chimneys: Brick or stone, if extant.

D. Tudor Revival

• Building Form: Bungalow, L-plan, or irregular.
• Exterior Walls: Usually brick masonry in varying colors, patterns, and textures, with exaggerated mortar joints, sometimes seeping. Sometimes stucco. Faux half-timbering often adorning gable-ends. Wing walls or buttresses sometimes accenting front façade.
• Foundation: Usually skirted with brick.
• Porches: If present, sometimes include low-sloped Gothic arches supported by brick piers.
• Roofs: Gable-on-hip or front gabled. Often complex. Eaves sometimes swept.
• Windows: Usually double-hung wood sash. Window openings sometimes feature low-sloped Gothic arches. Sometimes feature picture windows with leaded glass in a lattice pattern.
• Doors: Round-arched wood doors with small lites.
• Chimneys: Prominent brick chimneys, often on front facade. Sometimes feature chimney caps with corbelling or crenellations.

E. Colonial Revival (1880-1955)

• Building form: American four-square, two-story center-passage, or bungalow.
• Exterior walls: Typically red brick.
• Foundations: Typically pier and beam skirted with brick.
• Porches: Often lack porches. Sometimes include front-gabled or arched awnings over the main entrance, supported by brackets. If present, porches usually partial-width, with front-gabled roof supported by white wood or stone columns.
• Roofs: Side-gable. Wood cornice and enclosed eaves, often painted white.
• Windows: Typically double-hung wood sash, painted white. Often flanked by wood shutters.
• Doors: Typically wood, sometimes topped with fanlights. Commonly include sidelights, ornate door surrounds, pediments, etc.
• Chimneys: Typically red brick.

F. Spanish Colonial Revival

• Building form: L-plan, bungalow, or irregular.
• Exterior walls: Stucco, sometimes with texture or molded decorative wall elements.
• Foundation: typically skirted with masonry finished with stucco.
• Porches: Often lack porches. Sometimes feature cantilevered awnings over entrance, or partial-width porches with arched openings supported by masonry piers.
• Roofs: Typically flat or low-sloped hipped, covered with clay tile.
• Windows: Double-hung or casement windows, with metal or wood sash. Sometimes featuring wrought-iron grates or balconies.
• Chimneys: Stucco, often with tile caps.

Early Twentieth-Century American Styles

A. Prairie Style

• Building Form: L-plan, American four-square, two-story center-passage plan, and bungalow.
• Exterior Walls: Brick, sometimes Roman Brick, sometimes with string course for horizontal emphasis. Stone or tile detailing in geometric pattern sometimes present.
• Foundation: Typically skirted with brick.
• Porches: Supported by brick piers with stone coping and detailing.
• Roofs: Low-sloped hipped with deep, enclosed eaves.
• Windows: Typically double-hung wood sash, often with wood screens with geometric detail. Art glass sometimes present.
• Doors: Typically wood with glazing, sometimes with transoms and sidelights.
• Chimneys: Brick, often with stone coping.

B. Craftsman

• Building Form: L-plan or bungalow.
• Exterior Walls: Typically wood siding or asbestos shingle, sometimes brick. Sometimes feature wood shingle detailing.
• Foundation: Typically skirted with wood or brick. Skirt walls sometimes battered.
• Porches: Partial-width or full-width, often with front-gabled roof, typically supported by tapered wood or stone columns but sometimes supported by wrought-iron posts.
• Roofs: Low-sloped hipped or gabled, with deep eaves, often with exposed rafter ends.
• Windows: Typically double-hung wood sash, often with wood screens with geometric detail.
• Doors: Typically wood with glazing, sometimes with transoms and sidelights.
• Chimneys: Brick, sometimes with corbelling or stone coping.

C. Mission Style

• Building Form: American four-square, bungalow, and irregular.
• Exterior Walls: Typically stucco, although sometimes brick or stone.
• Foundation: Typically skirted with brick or stone.
• Porches: Supported by wide masonry piers (stucco, brick, or stone), often with arched openings. Flat or shed porch roofs typical.
• Roofs: Hipped or flat. Often feature exposed rafter ends or decorative brackets. Clay tile roofing typical. Sometimes feature molded parapets, often with stone coping, and projecting wood beams or vigas.
• Windows: May be double-hung wood sash, wood casement, or metal casement.
• Doors: Typically wood with glazing, sometimes with transoms and sidelights.
• Chimneys: Stucco, brick, or stone, often with coping or hoods with clay tile.

D. Monterey Style

• Building Form: L-plan, typically two-story.
• Exterior Walls: Typically stucco, brick, or stone.
• Foundation: May be pier-and-beam or concrete slab.
• Porches: Second-story balconies common. Often feature wood or wrought iron rails with decorative detailing. Porch usually recessed under balcony.
• Roofs: Typically hipped or cross-gabled.
• Windows: Typically double-hung wood sash, but may be wood casement or metal casement.
• Doors: Typically wood with glazing, sometimes with transoms and sidelights.
• Chimneys: Stucco, brick, or stone.

Mid-century Styles

A. Moderne Style

• Building Form: Irregular.
• Exterior Walls: Stucco. Corners often rounded.
• Foundation: Concrete slab.
• Porches: Cantilevered flat awnings. Patios or balconies with steel railings.
• Roofs: Flat.
• Windows: Typically metal-sash casement or jalousie. Glass block sometimes present.
• Doors: Typically wood or metal, often with glazing.
• Chimneys: If present, stucco.

B. International Style

• Building Form: Irregular or ranch.
• Exterior Walls: Stucco, wood, Roman brick, flagstone, glass, or tile. No applied ornament.
• Foundation: Concrete slab.
• Porches: Cantilevered flat awnings, or recessed under flat roof.
• Roofs: Flat.
• Windows: Double-hung, casement, or fixed, with metal or wood sash. Horizontal bands of windows and window walls common.
• Doors: Typically wood or metal, often with glazing.
• Chimneys: If present, typically brick or stone with minimal detail.

C. Contemporary

• Building Form: Irregular or ranch.
• Exterior Walls: Stucco, wood, Roman brick, flagstone, glass, or tile. No applied ornament. Often curving or angular.
• Foundation: Concrete slab.
• Porches: Cantilevered flat awnings, or recessed under flat roof.
• Roofs: Flat, A-frame, angular, vaulted, or irregular.
• Windows: Double-hung, casement, or fixed, with metal or wood sash.
• Doors: Typically wood or metal, often with glazing.
• Chimneys: If present, typically brick or stone.

D. Minimal Traditional

• Building Form: L-plan, modified L-plan, bungalow, or ranch.
• Exterior walls: Wood siding or asphalt shingle. Decorative wood shingles, board-and-batten, or waney-edge siding sometimes present at gable ends. Brick or stone veneer sometimes present at water table.
• Foundation: Pier and beam with wood skirt, or concrete slab.
• Porches: Typically partial width, supported by simple wood posts, geometric wood posts, or decorative wrought iron posts.
• Roofs: Cross-gabled or gable-on-hip.
• Windows: Casement or double-hung, wood or metal sash. Fixed picture windows sometimes present at front façade. Decorative wood shutters common.
• Doors: Wood, often with small lites in geometric patterns.
• Chimneys: If present, simple brick or stone.

E. Ranch Style

• Building Form: Ranch or Split-Level.
• Exterior Walls: Often brick or stone masonry, often using Roman brick or flagstone; sometimes wood siding or asbestos shingle siding.
• Foundation: Concrete slab.
• Porches: If present, typically recessed under main roof form and supported by simple wood posts or decorative wrought iron posts. Floor typically concrete. Integral stone or brick planters often common. Details may exhibit influences of Revival Styles.
• Roofs: Low-sloped hipped or side-gabled, with deep eaves. Clerestory windows sometimes present at gable ends or below eaves. Details may exhibit influences of Revival Styles.
• Windows: Double-hung, casement, awning or jalousie, with wood or metal sash.
• Doors: Wood, often with small lites in geometric patterns. Wrought iron screen doors.
• Chimneys: If present, broad and simple brick or stone.

Additional Resources for Identifying Architectural Styles

For "Building Watchers": About Identifying Architectural Styles/Character National Parks Service, Technical Preservation Services. "Walk Through: Learning to Identify the Visual Character of a Historic Building." NPS History and Culture. http://www2.cr.nps.gov/tps/education/walkthrough/start.htm

Nelson, Lee H. “Preservation Brief 17: Architectural Character: Identifying the Visual Aspects of Historic Buildings as an Aid in Their Preservation.” U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service - Preservation Briefs. http://www.nps.gov/history/HPS/TPS/briefs/brief17.htm

Baker, John Milnes. "American House Styles: A Concise Guide" New York, New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1994.

Gottfried, Herbert, and Jan Jennings. American Vernacular Buildings and Interiors: 1870-1960. New York, New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2009.

McAlester, Virginia, and Lee McAlester. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984.

National Trust for Historic Preservation. "Residential Window Field Guide." Weatherization. http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/weatherization/windows/field-guide/

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. "Architectural Field Guide" http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/architectural_field_guide/2370

Walker, Lester. American Homes: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Domestic Architecture. New York: Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers, 2002.

Walker, Lester. American Shelter. Woodstock, New York: The Overlook Press,, 1997.

Whiffen, Marcus. American Architecture since 1780: A Guide to the Styles. Cambridge, Massachusetts: M.I.T. Press, 1981.

General Architectural History

Gelertner, Mark. A History of American Architecture: Buildings in Their Cultural and Technological Context. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1999.

Guides Specific to Style or Period

Hess, Alan. Googie Redux: Ultramodern Roadside Architecture. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 2004.

Hess, Alan. The Ranch House. New York City: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2004.

Jencks, Charles. Late-Modern Architecture. New York: Rizzoli International Publications, 1980.

Longstreth, Richard. City Center to Regional Mall: Architecture, the Automobile, and Retailing in Lost Angeles, 1920-1950. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 1997.

Liebs, Chester. Main Street to Miracle Mile: American Roadside Architecture. New York: Graphic Society, 1985.

Rifkind, Carole. A Field Guide to Contemporary American Architecture. New York, New York: DUTTON / Penguin Books, 1998.