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Drawing by Theresa Coleman
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By Chuck Ross
Federal-style design, common from the 1780s until 1820 or so, is known as the architecture of the new American nation. However, its roots — like those of the young United States — were firmly planted in British soil. British architectural enthusiasts called this refined approach to neoclassicism the Adam style after the Scottish architect Robert Adam, who perfected its blend of Roman, Greek, Byzantine and Baroque ideas. Thomas Jefferson saw especially the Greek foundations of this new school as the perfect visual representation of the new republic, and championed its adoption as the official architecture of the new government.
It's got curves
Holding a picture in your mind of Jefferson's home at Monticello can help the effort of distinguishing this new approach from the preceding Georgian style. Where Georgian buildings are resolutely rectilinear, Federal-style structures feature curves, circles and ellipses — what architectural historian James Massey, a lecturer and frequent contributor to Old House Journal, considers a feminine fluidity, in contrast to Georgian's masculine solidity.
"The actual carvings and designs are relatively similar," he says. "It's just that they're treated differently."
Architect Matthew Schoenherr, AIA, emphasizes a similar delicacy in differentiating between these similar design schools, saying Federal-style detailing "is not trying to shout out for so much attention."
Getting glassy eyed
Fenestration offers the biggest visual clue to a home's Federal-vs.-Georgian origins. Federal-style windows are both larger and simpler than those found in Georgian residences, with Palladian-style glazed arches often topping the second story's central window. And glassmaking advances meant manufactures could create larger windowpanes. So, even though Federal windows are larger, they generally feature only six panes per sash, as opposed to the nine or 12 panes found earlier.
Additionally, over-the-door transom windows in Federal homes took on an elliptical or fan-shaped form, as opposed to a row of small, square-shaped panes.
Meeting in the middle
When searching out examples of Georgian or Federal architecture, you may well find yourself wondering if there isn't a third school of design that falls somewhere between these two. Because many homes of the late 18th century include both Georgian and Federal elements, identifying a structure as belonging to one or the other period can pose challenges — and may not be as simple as picking out a Federal-style transom or heavy Georgian quoins.
"It's not necessarily easy, because it's a matter of degree," Massey says. "Things can well be transitional, and you can sometimes look at a building and see elements that are Georgian and Federal."
Schoenherr and Massey offer the following Federal-style hallmarks to help guide you in your evaluation:
- "There's more wall" in a Federal-style façade, Massey says, because window jambs are smaller and take up less room.
- Palladian-style arched glazing over the central second-story window are typical.
- Side lights on the front door or a Palladian window over it are hallmarks of Federal design.
- Entryways are simplified, with lighter pilasters taking the place of the heavier pilasters or columns found in Georgian homes.
- More expensive homes might feature oval entry halls.
Chuck Ross is a New England-based freelance writer who specializes in architectural and construction topics.
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