Architecture Colonial Houses in England

When the Pilgrims landed on the shores of New England, they brought building traditions from medieval England. Using whatever materials they could find, they constructed timber-framed houses with steep roofs. Other settlers from Great Britain spread through Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and New York, building rustic dwellings like the ones they had known in their homeland.

The earliest dwellings were likely hastily-constructed sheds and cabins. Then, shoring up against the cold New England winters, colonists built single-story Cape Cod houses with massive chimneys placed at the center. 

As families grew, some colonists built larger two-story homes or expanded their living space with sloping saltbox roof additions, named after the shape of boxes used to store salt.

The British colonists continued medieval timber-frame building practices through the 1600s and, in some areas, well into the 1700s. Since these simple homes were made of wood, only a few have survived intact.

New England Colonial Types & Styles

Architecture in Colonial New England went through many phases and can be known by various names. The style is sometimes called post-medieval, late medieval, or first period English. A New England Colonial home with a sloping, shed-like roof is often called a Saltbox Colonial. The term Garrison Colonial describes a New England Colonial home with a second story that juts out over the lower level. The historic Stanley-Whiteman House in Farmington, Connecticut can be described as a Saltbox Colonial or a Garrison Colonial.

Modern Colonials

Builders often imitate historic styles. You may have heard words like New England Colonial, Garrison Colonial, or Saltbox Colonial used to describe modern-day homes. Technically, however, a house built after the 1700s is not a colonial. More correctly, these homes are Colonial Revival or Neo-colonial.

Southern Colonial House Styles

Settlers in southern regions such as Pennsylvania, Georgia, Maryland, South Carolina, and Virginia also constructed uncomplicated, rectangular homes. However, a Southern Colonial home is often made with brick. Also, homes in the southern colonies often had two chimneys--one on each side--instead of a single massive chimney in the center.