Bungalow — A one-storied or one and a half-storied house with a low-pitched roof and usually a front porch, popularized in the 1920s. The term is said to reflects its origins in the Bengal region of India, where English colonizers used it to describe the long, low houses with wide verandahs and deeply overhanging eaves that were built for them by local laborers. Bungalows have been built in a variety of styles; among the most popular is the Craftsman style bungalow.
Cape Cod — A style drawn from folk houses of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, built in the Colonial Revival period (1880-1955). Cape Cod houses usually are one and a half stories, and feature steep roofs with dormer windows. There are examples of Cape Cod homes in Tenleytown built in the 1930s and 1940s, both brick and frame.
Colonial Revival — A period spanning 1880-1955. The Colonial Revival style includes a number of “sub-styles,” such a Dutch Colonial and Spanish Colonial. Colonial Revival houses are often rectangular and symmetrical with gabled roofs. Their doors often have a decorative pediment supported by slender columns. The windows on these homes have double-hung sashes with multi-pane glazing. There are numerous examples of Colonial Revival homes in Tenleytown, typically constructed in red brick.
Craftsman — A style that became popular between 1905-1930, drawing from the Arts and Crafts movement. Craftsman houses often feature decorative beams or braces under their gables with square, often tapered, porch columns.
More terms coming soon!
References:
McAlester, Virginia Savage. A Field Guide to American Architecture, 2d ed. New York, NY Knopf, 2015.
content © 2023, Tenleytown Historical Society, unless otherwise noted