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Part 3 From the Ground Up
one-story structures of brick in urban
areas, or stone in rural areas. One of the
most important characteristics was the
front door, which was divided in half
horizontally. This style became known
as the Dutch door. However, it was the r r
later Dutch design that left the most
long-lasting mark on architecture.
The later style is known today as
Dutch Colonial.
Dutch Colonial
is a hous-
ing style with a gambrel roof. A
gambrel
roof
is a roof with a lower steeper slope
f
and an upper less-steep slope on both of
its sides. Sometimes the lower portion
extends over an open porch, which is
known as the Dutch kick. Houses of this
style were often built of fieldstone or brick, fi
and in some cases wood. Other character-
istics of the Dutch Colonial are dormers,
a central entrance, an off-center chimney,
and windows with small panes, 6-8.
Dutch Colonial homes were most
commonly built in northern states such
as New York and Delaware. The Dutch
did not bring this style from their
homeland, but created it after settling
in North America.
French
During the colonial period, French
settlements formed in the 1700s along
the St. Lawrence River, Great Lakes, and
Mississippi River. Early French homes
were built in the
French Normandy
style,
which was brought to North America
by the Huguenots. These homes were
one-story structures with many narrow
door and window openings. The roofs
were steeply pitched and either hipped
or side-gabled. The walls were stucco,
which was usually applied over a half-
timbered frame. Porches were added in
settlements located in warmer regions.
Also,housesintheSouthwereconstructed
on posts one story above ground. This
provided better air circulation in the
humid environment and protected the
house from fl oods. The Southern adap- fl
tation of this design is known as the
French Plantation
house.
A distinctive style evolved in New
Orleans known as the Louisiana French
style. The most outstanding characteris-
tics of this style include balconies with
elaborate ironwork railings and white
stucco walls. The structures were built
on raised brick or stone basements to
protect them from flooding. fl
Even after Louisiana became the
eighteenth state in the Union in 1812, the
French infl continued to impact fluence
American architecture in many ways.
One example, the
French
Manor, is a
r r
symmetrically styled home with wings
on each side and a Mansard roof on the
main part of the house, 6-9. A
Mansard
roof
is a variation of the gambrel roof.
f
Its designer was a French architect
named Francois Mansard. When used
on detached single-family dwellings,
the roof continues all around the house.
Dormers often project from the steeply
pitched part of the roof. When used on
commercial buildings, the Mansard roof
may be used only on one or two sides.
French influence is also seen in the fl fl
house style called
French
Provincial. This
style originated in New Orleans and
became popular all over the country. It
has a delicate, dignified appearance and fi
is usually symmetrical. The windows are
a dominant part of the design. The tops
of the windows break into the eave line.
A French-Provincial house can be as tall
as two-and-a-half stories.
6-8
This home has
features that are
typically original
to Dutch Colonial
homes such as
a gambrel roof l
that fl ares at the
bottom.