Greater Chicagoland Home Inspection's new blog, "Life at the OLD Homestead" is meant as a primer for those interested in intricacies of old homes. I love old homes...I love inspecting them, I love restoring them, I love living in them. This is dedicated to that passion, and hopefully will shed some light on some of the finer points of these time capsules.
Determining the Age of your Home: Popular Home Styles
Another method to dating your home is to determine when the popular styles were constructed. One the style is determined, typically it is possible to find similar homes in the area that may have construction dates recorded with the township. In the next few blogs, I will develop a historical timeline and other information associated with specific details of each style of home.
Carpenter Gothic, 1840-1870
With the popularity of balloon framing in the mid 19th century, and the need for quickly constructed, affordable homes came the Carpenter Gothic. The very nature of the style was based on the resurgence of interest in the Gothic styles from the Middle Ages. The difference, implied by the name, these houses were constructed by carpenters in wood, rather than the original gothic which was constructed by Masons in stone.
Quick, simple construction became the norm in the early Americas with the abundance of natural resources lack of machinery and the necessity for new housing with the growing population. However, quick and simple often meant less ornate; typically not reminiscent of European architecture.
The invention of steam powered scroll saws allowed simple yet ornate construction. The scroll saw allowed for mass production of intricate moldings and patterns that modeled after the country cottages of England.
Identifying features of the Carpenter Gothic style include steeply pitched roofs and gables, gingerbread ornamentation, fancy scroll work, carved porch railings, and strong vertical design elements. Windows mimicked the masonry trim of the early Gothic. Earlier Gothic cottages were square and symmetrical, while later homes often had asymmetrical floor plans.
Determining the Age of your Home is written by Greater Chicagoland Home Inspection, a St Charles, Illlinois Home Inspection Company. If you are in the market to purchase a home in the Kane, Cook , DuPage, or Dekalb counties of Illinois, contact us for your inspection needs.
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