Casa de Upstate NY

October 14, 2006 6:15 PM

Upstate New York mill town architecture-- what does one call it?

Upstate Eastern New York is filed with a specific kind of brick row house-style, mill town home (something like but not exactly like this), yet they are usually free-standing (that is, not a row house per se) and generally a big square box with a flat roof. They always have a narrow front entrance (sometimes with skinny double doors) and many windows with gentle brick arches. Often there is wrought iron involved somehow.

What is this style of architecture? Federal seems too, uh, presidential looking, but it could be federal. Is there some kind good starting resource where I can read about how and why these buildings are constructed in that fashion? Or are there any good Architecture for Goofballs kind of books I can use as a resource?

posted by oflinkey to home & garden (7 comments total)

Some of what you might be describing is a kind of truncated, scaled down version of Greek Revival styles popular in upstate New York, through out the 19th century. In smaller buildings like those in your picture, the porticos and columns of the full Greek Revival entrance can be truncated into the accents and vertical ornamentation you see on the facades. But the suggested columns and classical arch elements that frame the windows pretty clearly draw from Greek Revival, even in such small, modest facades. Federal style is generally plain, and eschews ornament, except for simple things like shaped or dressed lintels.
posted by paulsc at 6:46 PM on October 14, 2006

Maybe Second Empire or Federal?

More here.
posted by Wet Spot at 6:56 PM on October 14, 2006

Well, all of these are in the same neighborhood. My guess is that they are just super scaled down versions of second empire, federal or Greek revival. The most ornamentation these buildings have is a verticle brick lintel-ly thing arch over the windows, a flat roof, and possibly some wrought iron. They do not have the level of ornamentation in the picture I linked to.
posted by oflinkey at 7:02 PM on October 14, 2006

Vertical. Uh.
posted by oflinkey at 7:03 PM on October 14, 2006

It may be that there is some holdover from the Dutch influence and that is why they style is a little toned down. Have you looked at the town websites for places you've seen this? Most towns have links about their history and architecture. Kingston has a great site, maybe their publications would have more of the info you're looking for.
posted by saffry at 7:54 PM on October 14, 2006

The picture you linked to is pretty much the Italianate-style. A bit toned down, but you'll see everything from the super high-style Samuel Sloan mansions, to the free-standing (often asbestos-shingled) apartment homes in upstate New York.

For future reference, the book you want is A Field Guide to American Houses.
posted by stefnet at 8:21 PM on October 14, 2006

I should also add, just to clarify, that the Italianate style is not limited to upstate New York. You can find them pretty much anywhere a city or town existed during the late 1800s.
posted by stefnet at 8:28 PM on October 14, 2006