beside a Mid-Century Modern. Yet, says Joan M. Brierton, a historic preservation specialist, “They all work together.”
There always seems to be more to learn about the history of the neighborhoods — a statute you overlooked, a building or house you didn’t notice before. “I’m constantly surprised and delighted by new things,” says Tom Mayes, deputy general counsel at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Here’s an overview of some of what’s in our neighborhoods:
Georgian (mid-1700s to 1830s):
Beware of imitations. There are tons of replicas of this Colonial-era architecture, which features paneled front doors with decorative crowns and flattened columns, called pilasters, on the side. Georgian architecture is rigidly symmetrical, Moeller says.
On the humble end, a Georgian house might be a simple one- to two-story box, two rooms deep. On the upper end, it often has cornices with decorative moldings and might have two-story columns at the outer edge of the front facade.
These homes are often brick or wood, with chimneys on both sides of the house. The Brice House and the Hammond House are examples. The Friendship House, also known as the Maples or Duncanson House, on D Street SE, is another.
The Old Hotel in Dumfries, the 18th-century mansion also known as Williams Ordinary, is crowned by a wood cornice, and its chimneys are visible from the outside.
Federal (late 1700s to 1840):
Another popular period in D.C. architecture — Federal — can run the gamut from the very grand to the quite simple.
Balanced and symmetrical, Federal houses have clean lines but also majesty. Front doors are often surrounded with a decorative crown and have a small entry porch. Larger houses, such as the Woodlawn estate in Mount Vernon, may have side additions known as wings.
Some of the most carefully preserved historic homes are examples of Federal architecture. Among them: Evermay (1623 28th St. NW), Dumbarton Oaks (1703 32nd St. NW) and Halcyon House (3400 Prospect St. NW).
Federal townhouses include the Forrest-Marbury House (3350 M St. NW) and the Yellow House (1430 33rd St. NW), says Kim Williams, an architectural historian in the District’s Historic Preservation Office.
Greek Revival (1825 to 1860):
A logical outgrowth of the Federal and Georgian periods, Greek Revival is noted for its severity, Moeller says. The houses are built on a bold scale, with a relative lack of ornamentation.
In the D.C. area, Greek Revivals often have gabled roofs with a low pitch and entry porches supported by columns. The Athenaeum of the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association and the Arlington House at Arlington National Cemetery, with its eight-column portico, capture the style.
Gothic Revival (1840 to 1880):
Gothic Revivals often have windows that extend into gables with a pointed arch.
The windows may have arch shapes or window crowns. Many of the houses include front porches with narrow columns and arches. Some houses are asymmetrical and have towers.
President Lincoln’s Cottage, on the grounds of the Soldiers’ Home in the District, would be considered an example of Carpenter Gothic— a modest version of the style built mostly of wood rather than stone, Moeller says.
The Chastleton on 16th Street NW is a condominium building in the Gothic Revival style.
Italianate (1840 to 1885):
These houses are several stories and feature eaves with decorated brackets. The wood-sided house at 1312 U St. SE in Anacostia is one. A good example of an Italianate row is Cooke’s Row in Georgetown, says Williams, of the D.C. Historic Preservation Office.
Two majestic Italianate structures are the Bayne-Fowle House in Alexandria and the Brentmoor mansion in Warrenton.
Neoclassical (1895 to 1950):
This is the iconic architecture that immediately comes to mind when you say “D.C.” — the U.S. Supreme Court building, the National Gallery of Art and, of course, the Jefferson Memorial.
The full-height front porch with the classical columns is most striking. Neoclassical buildings might also have roof-line balustrades and side-wing porches.
Two great examples of residences in thi