Henry Parker

The stately yet practical homes of the American Colonial period owe a lot to Dutch building traditions. The Dutch settlers’ skill in brickwork and their inventive adaptations such as split doors and flared roof eaves gave Dutch Colonial architecture a distinctive appearance that was widely popular throughout the northeast. Today, Dutch customs still influence home […]

While many architectural styles in the United States took their inspiration from abroad, a few are largely home grown. The Pueblo Revival style, also known as the Santa Fe or Adobe style, is one of these. With roots in the traditional building methods of the Southwest’s native Pueblo people, this style is best known for […]

Staying comfortable in Florida’s heat and humidity isn’t easy under the best of circumstances, and for the state’s early settlers, circumstances were hardly ideal. With little in the way of time or resources, they relied on local materials and ingenuity when building their homes. The Florida Cracker architectural style was the result. As simple as […]

With its asymmetrical roof and restrained facade, the Saltbox house has become an icon of New England’s coastal areas. When Colonial-era families first developed the style, though, they weren’t aiming for aesthetic appeal. The Saltbox architectural style was born as an adaptation to the harsh realities of early Colonial life. Families learned to be inventive […]

With its complex structures and ornate embellishments, high-style British Victorian architecture conveys a distinct sense of luxury. To enjoy the beauty of this style for themselves, middle-class Americans of the era were inspired to find a more practical alternative. Enter the folk Victorian style. Built with a more inventive, eclectic approach, folk Victorian homes display […]

The words “Antebellum home” evoke visions of the grand, opulent mansions that often served as plantation homes throughout the Deep South. They’re homes like Gone With the Wind’s palatial Tara with its stately columns and broad, covered veranda. While certain traits characterize the Antebellum architectural style, the term covers a wide variety of Southern homes […]