Shingle Style
Shingle Style homes on the 200 block of Loring Avenue c. 1927
Shingle Style home at 339 Highbrook Avenue as it originally appeared c. 1927
Background on the Shingle Style
In the late 19th century, renewed interest in Colonial American architecture combined with a rebellion against the excess decoration of the Queen Anne style converged to give rise to a uniquely American architecture style that has become known as "Shingle Style."
The Shingle Style is a "picturesque" style that is asymetrical in plan, with the exterior clad almost entirely in unpainted cedar shingles that sweep and swirl across the exterior of the building. A minimum of classical details, such as tuscan columns or an occasional Palladian window, are sometimes used in the style. Interiors also lacked the high degree of ornamentation found in other "Victorian" styles such as Queen Anne, using instead the hand-crafted "arts & crafts" styling.
Books about the Shingle Style in the Pelham By Design Collection:
Shingle Style and the Stick Style: Architectural Theory & Design from Richardson to the Origins of Wright by Vincent Scully Jr.
Other Notable Shingle Style Landmarks
Newport, Rhode Island is home to numerous outstanding examples of the Shingle Style, including the Newport Casino (1880) (now the International Tennis Hall of Fame) and The Isaac Bell House (1883), both designed by the firm McKim, Mead and White.