The American four square house is a classic example of 1900s house plans and designs. It features a simple, box-shaped body with a wide front porch and may be two or three stories high, often with a tall entryway. Four square houses also include dormers for ventilation and windows situated in precise geometric symmetries. Characterizing the American four square house's 1900s house plans and designs are its two or more stories, a steep pitched roof, and a front porch with tapered posts, brackets, and railings. The balance between the structure's minimal roof overhang and a full porch exemplifies the vintage architectural details associated with early twentieth century classic American four square homes.1900s House Plans and Designs | American Four Square House Plans
Victorian-style colonial house plans became popular in the late 1890s and featured highly decorative touches. Most were two stories, but some were three stories or even four stories with a full basement. These plans are characterized by elaborate designs with curves, from the steeply slanted roof to the window, and door frames. Materials used were often stained wood, patterned brick, and stone. Decorative brackets, gingerbread, and spindle work typically embellished the porch, entry, and eaves. Victorian-style colonials also feature front entry picturesque doors with beveled-glass windows.Traditional Victorian Colonial House Plans
Bungalow houses, popular during the late 1900s, feature an asymmetrical shape, low-pitched roof, wide porch with tapered columns, and a slight overhang. The bungalow house has one and one-half to two stories and usually has a medium to small footprint. The roofs are wide and the dormers and windows often combine gables, shed roofs, and triangular shapes. The porches featured patterned railings and often the posts and columns have elaborately carved capitals. Bungalow houses typically used materials such as wood, brick, or stone, or a combination of these materials.Bungalow House Plans of the 1900s
Cottage houses featuring early 1900s house plans are known for their simple, quaint designs with a cluster of small porches and usually one tall window with many smaller windows around the side. Materials used were commonly wood and stone with gables and steeply pitched roofs. Its small, square shape, supported by tapered columns, was common in Victorian homes, generally with one or two porches. It also was often embellished with gables, eaves, brackets, and spindle work. Doors typically featured glass windows and tops of either arches or fanlights.Cottage House Plans of the Early 1900s
The American farmhouse style became popular in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, featuring large windows at the rear of the house and porches running along one side. The roof eaves in farmhouses typically overhang the walls of the room. Windows were often shuttered or multi-paned. The structure on most farmhouses has at least one chimney, typically one that is placed toward the center of the house. In some cases, two chimneys can be seen, with one on each end of the house. Materials used in these 1900s house plans were primarily wood, often clapboard or shingles, rarely brick or stone.Farmhouse House Plans of the 1900s
The characteristic low-pitched roof on the Craftsman house plans of the early 1900s was designed to prevent the buildup of snow and provide support for the large overhanging eaves. While many Craftsman homes were boxy, square, and symmetrical, others had triangular bay windows and gambrel roofs. To further decorate the exterior, Craftsman houses often used stone, brick, and wood in its construction. Columns, often built of brick or wood, extended from the porch to the roofline, framed by decorative wood supports. And, of course, craftsman houses consistently featured exposed rafters and extended roof lines that seemed to hug the walls of the building.Craftsman House Plans of the 1900s
The foursquare style of the early 1900s house plans is a box-like shape with a steep pitch to the roof, typically square or near-square. Foursquare houses often have simple, shoulder-tapered porch columns, along with a stucco surface or brick walls. The windows of a foursquare house feature double-hung, multi-paned or casement windows and are designed with a cross-mullion, sometimes referred to as the quarter-square style. Foursquare homes also often feature large front porches, in keeping with the low-pitched roof and steep eaves, and symmetrical windows.The Foursquare Style of the Early 1900s
The gingerbread colonial house of the early twentieth century was characterized by its heavily ornamented, brightly colored facades. These features usually include spindle work, turned posts, and intricate patterns that were created to look like intricate carvings, but were actually made of composite or wood. Gingerbread colonials were usually square or rectangular, with steeply pitched roofs, and one or two stories in height. To make these 1900s house plans unique, ornamental decorations were put around doors, windows, and eaves. Decorative brackets, balustrades, and Victorian-style millwork were often added to the exterior for an overall lavish effect.The Gingerbread Colonial House of the Early 1900s
At the start of the twentieth century, Romanesque revival home plans began to appear. The distinctive design of a Romanesque revival home includes an irregular-shaped plan with its asymmetrical massing. Courtyards, arcades, and rustic details ornament the house. Porticos often feature columns with cushion-style capitals. The entrance typically features a larger than normal door flanked by smaller windows. On the exterior, medium tones of either brick or stucco are used, as well as other materials, such as tile and stone. In many cases, delicate half-timbering appears, further defining the asymmetrical design of the house.Romanesque Revival Home Plans of the 1900s