17th-Century English Colonial Architecture

17th-century English colonial architecture resembles the late medieval forms that survived in rural England. Houses were built in a range of sizes. Gables, overhangs, and lack of symmetry reflected the late medieval style of Europe. In Virginia and Maryland, brick construction was preferred for the typically story and a half homes with chimneys at both ends and a more nearly symmetrical facade. Aside from fortifications, the principal nondomestic structures in the 17th-century colonies were churches. Cities founded in the 17th century, such as Boston, were chaotic in plan. With the turn of the 18th century, the colonies began to take on a more permanent and established character, as the hardships of the wilderness were overcome, and increasing commerce and production permitted the
In the 19th century, the Colonial Revival took a more eclectic style, and columns were often seen. However, with the popularity of research-based history attractions like Colonial Williamsburg in the 1930s, the subsequent "colonial" architecture took a more scholarly and less pretentious turn, and columns fell out of favor. Local conditions have played a tremendously important part in the shaping of an architectural style. There were two different styles of Colonial architecture in New England and in Virginia which were designated as New England Colonial and Southern Colonial. The difference in climate showed its effect upon the height of ceilings, high ceilings being required in the South because of the heat. The local supply of material accounted for the fact that New England Colonial homes were almost invariably built of wood siding, while the discovery of excellent beds of clay in Virginia caused brick to become popular