| Styles of Homes: Eclectic Period 1880–1940. Mediterranean 1890–1915. |
| Overview |
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| Style |
Material |
Orientations of structure |
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| Refined |
Masonary,
possibly
mixed with
heavy-
tember
beams and
columns |
Horizontal |
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| Key features |
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Clay tiled roof and-or floors; asymmetrical façade; arches above doors and principal windows; large, focal windows with decorative iron or wood grilles; thick walls with windows and doors set deeply behind the wall plane; localized use of strong or dark colors against a predominantly light background.
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| Architectural Features |
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| Entrance Door |
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- Batten doors
- Occasionally curved
- Often with strap hinges
- Emphasized by columns, stonework, tiles or pilasters
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| Garage Door |
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- Horizontal orientation of surface material
- Blended trim boards to simulate batten door construction
- Asymmetrical window placement
- Grilles or other architectural hardware on windows
- Curve top appearance if applicable
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| Style Summary |
Subcategories include Italian Renaissance, Mission and Spanish
Eclectic. California was the birthplace of these styles, and
many of its landmark examples are located there. The earliest
were built in the 1890s; by 1900 houses in these styles
were spreading eastward under the influence of fashionable
architects and national builders’ magazines. The style used
decorative details borrowed from Hispanic cultures such as clay
tiles, arched windows, and predominant hardware.
Excerpted from A Field Guide to American Houses, Virginia and
Lee McAlester, Alfred Knopf, New York, © 2000. |
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