STEP TWO
Romantic architecture refers to the reimagining or adaptation of past architectural styles, drawing inspiration from historical periods or traditions to create buildings that evoke the aesthetics and principles of those earlier designs.
Gothic Revival and (Later) Victorian
The first style that isn’t based on classical form. A very common style used in 19th century Ontario cottages, farmhouses and churches. Often sharing a symmetrical form of Georgian or Neoclassical style with gothic details added.
Later Victorian style is similar but includes more classical motifs along with gothic.
Fig. Gothic Revival Style House
| Era | 1840 - 1870; 1900 |
|---|---|
| Form | Symmetrical and asymmetrical, tall with peaks |
| Storeys | 1.5 |
| Façade | Steeply pitched gable roofs, sometimes with decorative bargeboards (gingerbread trim). Stone, brick, or wood exteriors, often featuring board-and-batten siding. Asymmetrical massing, sometimes with projecting bays or towers. |
| Roof | Steep cross gabled roofs sometimes with finials. Decorative bargeboards (vergeboards) along roof edges. |
| Windows | First storey 6-over-6 windows, 4-over-4 gothic windows in gables. Stained glass or diamond-pane windows. |
| Details | Elaborate porches with decorative woodwork and spindles. Ornamental pinnacles, finials, and carved stonework in grander designs. Prominent chimneys, often with decorative brickwork. |
Italianate
Inspired by the rustic villas of the Italian countryside, featuring tall, narrow windows, decorative brackets, and low-pitched roofs. Highly picturesque.
Fig. Italianate Style House
| Era | 1840-1890 |
|---|---|
| Form | Square or rectangular, “T” or “L” shaped. Tall. |
| Storeys | 2-3 |
| Façade | Stone, brick, bevel, less commonly stucco. More stately villa representations include distinguishing tower or cupola. Wide, overhanging eaves with elaborate brackets. |
| Roof | Hip, low-pitch with wide overhanging eaves and large decorative brackets. “L” shaped buildings may have front gable. |
| Windows | Tall, narrow, often paired. 1/2 or 2/2. Round arched, camber top. Gable often includes a round (ocular) window. Decorative window hoods, pediments, or elaborate moldings. |
| Details | Prominent entryways, often featuring double doors with glass panels. Porticos or full-width porches, supported by slender, square columns. Ornamental cornices, decorative friezes, and carved wood detailing. |
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-This guide provides a brief, highly graphical overview of Canada's architectural heritage, highlighting the defining characteristics of various building styles and types across different historical periods. We love older Parks Canada publications.
Parks Canada. Buildings of Canada: A Guide to Styles and Types. 1980, https://www.historicplaces.ca/media/7173/buildingsofcanada.pdf.
-This guide, commissioned by an East coast municipality, is quite comprehensive. It provides more detailed information on the architectural styles that are common in Canada.
Town of Sackville. Heritage Architecture Style Guide. 10 Mar. 2014, https://sackville.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Heritage_Architecture_Style_Guide_Final_10March2014.pdf.
-This book provides a comprehensive overview of major architectural styles and building terminology in Ontario from the late 18th century to relatively modern times.
Blumenson, John J.-G. Ontario Architecture: A Guide to Styles and Building Terms, 1784 to the Present. Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 1990.
-A concise introduction to considering the architectural character of your home is provided in the U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Cultural Resources - Preservation Guides. The National Park Service preservation guides are a great resource in general and well worth exploring.
-This book outlines what to look for, what to do and what not to do when working on important building details.
Cusato, Marianne, and Ben Pentreath. Get Your House Right: Architectural Elements to Use & Avoid. Sterling, 2007.
-This book provides an excellent detailed guide to American residential architecture (basically the same as Canadian architecture).
McAlester, Virginia Savage. A Field Guide to American Houses (Revised): The Definitive Guide to Identifying and Understanding America's Domestic Architecture. Knopf, 2015.
-This book provides detailed information on building elements.
Benjamin, Asher. The American Builder's Companion. Illustrated ed., Feb. 26, 2009, Dover Publications.
-This book provides detailed information on building elements indicating scale and proportion.
Radford, William A., Bernard L. Johnson, and Charles P. Rawson. Radford's Portfolio of Details of Building Construction: A Remarkable and Unique Collection of Full-Page Plates, Accurately Drawn and Reproduced to Exact Scale. Complete Details for Every Style of Interior Trim, Including Special Built-In Features. Illustrated ed., Dover Publications, Aug. 31, 2012.
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