American colonial architecture

The colonial architecture, were built in North America between about 1600 and 1850 houses, churches and government buildings, has several sub- styles, depending on which colonial power or which immigrant group they came from. A distinction is made between First Period English, French, Spanish, Dutch and German influences, and the later Georgian architecture.

Regional subspecies

Some relatively well-defined regional styles are distinguished above all in the United States.

The Thirteen Colonies are influenced by styles and construction techniques from England ( and to a lesser extent from other parts of Europe ). The houses of the 16th century in New England were mostly made ​​of wood in the style of the houses West of England.

Dutch colonial buildings are mainly found in the Hudson River Valley and on Long Iceland and northern New Jersey. Stylistically influenced by Holland and Flanders, stone is used as a material frequently than in New England.

At the lower Delaware River, the first buildings were characterized Swedish. Here is the first log cabins were placed on the type of log cabin to America.

In Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina, there is a style called "Southern Colonial ". Typical are 1 ½ -storey brick houses, often with large fireplaces at the sides of the houses. A special form of the Greek Revival was also called Antebellum architecture; a variety of preserved examples from the 19th century has about Charleston (South Carolina).

After 1680 a style called Colonial Pennsylvania, which is already expected to Georgian architecture developed in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Dutch in the southeast of that country developed in the 18th century, a private German-influenced style.

Outside of the Thirteen Colonies, the architectural forms of the former colonial powers of the respective area are marked. In Canada (especially Quebec ) and in the valley of the Mississippi (especially Louisiana), the architecture is French influenced, while it originated in the Southwest and in Florida from the Spanish Baroque and Rococo architecture. Natchez (Mississippi ), however, is famous for its Antebellum architecture of the Greek Revival.

French colonial

The French colonial style developed after the founding of Quebec in 1608 and New Orleans in 1718, which were the two centers from which it spread to the valley of the Mississippi.

The typical early colonial house in the Mississippi area was a so-called " Poteaux -en- terre ", which was built on laws vertically into the ground cedar logs. These simple houses had double- sloped hipped roofs and were surrounded because of the summer heat of whorls ( galleries).

Around 1770, it developed into the style of the so-called " Briquette - entre - poteaux " (small bricks between posts ), as it is typical for New Orleans. These houses often had double door frames, roof dormers and shutters.

Around 1825 was developed in floodplains, the "raised cottage" in which the houses were set on raised brick walls. This ground floor remained cool during dry periods and was used for cooking or as a warehouse.

Spanish colonial

Developed with the earlier Spanish settlements in the Caribbean and Mexico, the Spanish style in the United States can be traced back to the founding of St. Augustine (Florida ) in 1565. The oldest type of house in Florida are the so-called "board houses", small Einzimmerhütten of softwood boards, often with reed roofs. In the 18th century, the "Common Houses", which were covered with white throw from a mixture of mortar and limestone developed. They were usually two stories and had Laubenumgänge for cooling.

In the U.S. Southwest, the Pueblo style to the design of Native American Pueblo culture of this region oriented.

In Alta California ( the present-day California ) developed mainly in the south a variant of this style, which leaned on the architecture of the Spanish missions, as they were built 1769-1823. Due to the large distances wood and other building material was scarce, the architecture was therefore largely based Adobe.

Dutch colonial

The Dutch Colonial style was around 1630 with the arrival of Dutch settlers in Nieuw Amsterdam and the Hudson River Valley in what is now New York State. Originally, the settlers built small Einzimmerhäuser with stone walls and a very steep roof, making room for an additional floor was built. Around 1670 two-storey gabled houses in Nieuw Amsterdam were common.

In rural settlements, the Dutch farmhouse evolved with regular ground plans and fire gables. Around 1720 the Gambrel roof was taken from the English settlement space in which each roof surface has two different tilt angles. Usually, it was suspended in order to protect the underlying walls.

German colonial

This style was developed after about 1675, as the valley of the Delaware River was settled by colonists from Germany and Northern Europe - an important sub- group were the Pennsylvania Dutch. The usual at this time in these countries, half-timbered building was modified in that wood was used mostly on the ground floor Feldstein and first floor. Later Feldstein was the usual building material, as further developed into larger farm houses, the houses of simple one-room cottages.

Popular was the so-called "bank house", which was built for the purpose of protection against heat and cold into a hillside.

In Pennsylvania at that time also the two-story "country townhouse " was common.

Georgian colonial

This style was about 1720-1780 used in New England and the Mid-Atlantic States.

The characteristics of this style are a rectangular plan and symmetry in the arrangement, especially one located right in the middle front door, as well as straight lines at the windows on the ground floor and first floor. Above the door there is usually a pediment and pilasters at her side. The door leads to an entrance hall with staircase, branching off from the from all rooms. Georgian buildings in English style were typically made ​​of bricks painted with wooden white door and window frames. In America, there was next to brick buildings including those with wood sheathing. Often the houses were as a whole white ( or pale yellow) painted what sets them apart from other structures that are not painted.

A house in the Georgian Colonial style usually has a formally -defined living room, dining room and sometimes a family room. There are one or two chimneys that can be very large. The stone walls were up to 2 feet ( about 70 cm) wide, which is related to the absence of a wooden framework.

Influential for the dissemination of the style was built in 1759 by John Vassall House in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Vassall was an officer in the British militia and wealthy merchants, his house is considered one of the most - copied the colonial architecture. The house later became the headquarters of George Washington during the Siege of Boston 1775/76 and home of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It is now a National Historic Site for the Siege of Boston, as well as the life and work of Longfellow.