Colonial Revival

The term "Colonial Revival" refers to the entire rebirth of interest in the early English and Dutch houses of the Atlantic seaboard. Faithfully and carefully rendered exterior reproductions of British, New England and Virginia originals from the Colonial period of the 1600s and 1700s acted as the underlying theme for the upscale Colonial Revival house. This was encouraged by a wide dissemination of photographs, measured drawings and details in books and periodicals from 1900 to 1950.

The new style brought with it a change in the fundamental design of buildings. Americans had progressed from walking to driving to work in their new motorcars. As a result, wide front porches began to disappear or move to the side to make room for garages. The spacious front porches of the Craftsman period were virtually unknown in the new house designs of the Colonial Revival period. Garages became more numerous, detached in the Twenties, but increasingly attached in the Thirties. Lots became larger and landscaping for ordinary homes became the theme of the home magazines.

On the interior, a plethora of designated rooms appeared: telephone nooks, maid’s rooms, breakfast rooms, broom closets, radio rooms, and even spaces earmarked for refrigerators. For the first time one-and-a-half, two, and two-and-a-half baths were common even in middle class residences.

The Colonial Revival style remained so popular for so long that even today many new subdivisions in and around Deschutes County, still feature houses with Colonial style detailing. Within the movement several sub-styles can be found including the Dutch Colonial, the Cape Cod, and the Williamsburg. Each sub-style has a historical precedent. 

One of the more interesting characteristics of the Colonial movement was the replication of the Colonial style in all components of the home. Desks, chairs, tables, couches, and dishes were all exact reproductions of Colonial furniture from the 1700s. Businesses such as Sears and Wards suggested you could "Return to 18th Century Charm" if you purchased their version of a Colonial dinning room set. Dishes, towels, clothes, rugs, mirrors and radios all featured Colonial themes. Even architects and contractors offered plans to build additional landscape features such as gates, trellises and gazebos that would add an additional touch to the Colonial home.