Some History

The Dutch colonial style house was an architectural revival of homes built in the early 1700’s by Dutch immigrants on the East coast. In Chicago, these homes were popular between 1900-1930, and today may be commonly called the “Barn House.” The primary characteristic of this type of building was the gambrel roof, which allowed for a very livable second floor. Most Dutch colonials revivals had symmetrical facades and large front porches, however the Chicago version had a street facing gambrel, entrances off to the side, 6-over-6 windows, and dustpan dormers that commonly ran along the sides of the roof. These features were an effort to squeeze even more square footage out of the narrow standard city lot. The interiors of these large single-family homes varied greatly, and could accommodate an elaborate Victorian-like staircase or simple, unadorned, Craftsman moldings.