The metropolitan region around Washington, DC, is diverse and home to a wide range of architectural styles. One such style with distinguishing characteristics is Georgian. But how can you tell Georgian architecture from other types when there are so many?
What exactly is a Georgian Architecture? What are its unique features?
Georgian homes are distinguished by:
- Building mass rigid symmetry, as well as window and door arrangement
- Stucco, stone, or brick (brick is most predominantly used)
- Hip roofs, occasionally with dormers
- ornamental window headers
- entrance decorations like Pediments, arched tops, and ogee caps
Georgian architecture is one of America’s most popular styles. It was the most popular architectural movement in the colonies from 1700 until the Revolutionary War, and it was admired for its symmetrical form, classic proportions, and ornamental embellishments. This style incorporated many of the trademarks of Renaissance design, but it fell out of favour with the creation of the United States and the advent of the American Federal style.
Best example for Georgian architect
Gunston Hall on the banks of the Potomac River in Virginia is one of the outstanding specimens of Georgian architecture in the Washington, DC, region. It was erected for George Mason, a founding father.
Features of georgian architect
- Symmetrical form and fenestration (window placement)
- Multi-pane windows
- Side-gabled or hipped roof
- Stone or brick walls
- Transom window over paneled front door
- Pediment or crown and pilasters at front entry
- Cornice with dentils
- Water table or belt course
- Corner quoins
History of Georgian architecture
Throughout the 18th century, the Georgian architecture was the most popular in the English colonies, distinguished by its symmetrical composition and formal, classical features. It was America’s first architect-inspired architecture, a marked break from earlier, more practical buildings that followed existing folk customs. Around 1700, the Georgian style reached in America via British architectural building documents known as pattern books. While prominent in England in the 17th and 18th centuries, the Georgian style is based on classical features from the earlier Italian Renaissance period.
Editor : Jubin Raju Mathew
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