ARCHITECTURE
Romantic Houses
The following houses make up the most commonly seen design of Readington Township. The Romantic Style includes the most popular design in 19th Century America, known as Greek Revival. This design was popular to define oneself as a member in the American Republic. These Romantic Homes broke away from traditional European Design and created a distinctive look for homeowners in the country. Romantic Homes are broken into five categories. The Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Exotic Revivals and the Octagon style. As the popularity of the Greek Revival Home wore thin, due to the fact that simply everyone had them, new ideas branched from this in the same time period. Hence the five other styles previously listed after the Greek Revival in the Romantic Home group.
• Greek Revival
Pictured here are examples of the Greek Revival design (1825-1860). This may be the most noticeable architectural design throughout the community. Greek Revival is typically illustrated in the entry porch. Pillars square or round, support the front structure. A wide band of trim beneath the main roof and porch roof is a common feature. Doorways are generally a single door or paired, and usually divided into two or four panels with glass pains surrounding. Windows generally had six-pane glazing .
 A spitting image of a Greek Revival Home. Here all the features described in the paragraph are illustrated, Square pillars supporting entryway to the paired front door. Trim below the low-pitched roof and, like the Adam Design, six paned glazing on the windows with smaller frieze band windows on the top of the house. |
 Greek Revival C. 1856. Note the low-pitched roof, and entry porch supported by square pillars. |
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A country-version of the Greek Revival design, C. 1840-1850. This building has been modified; a later built roof and the double-bay parlor windows (Victorian design) on the side. Note the decorated Cornice instead of plain trim beneath the roof and the six pain windows, typical Greek Revival features. |
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| • Italianate Another branch of Romantic Houses popular between 1840-1885. As seen here we have a largely Italianate home with mixed features, a common occurrence in older homes that have seen many additions. The roof design descends from a Second Empire, Late Victorian, Mansard type, atypical of most Romantic Houses. Note the windows are of a more rectangular shape and the design of the crowns above the windows are more typical in Greek Revival Design. The brackets supporting the over hanging eaves of the roof are of Italianate design. Note the double doors in the main entry, another typical design found within the Italianate architectural style. |
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Note the double doors in the main entry, another typical design of Italianate architectural style. |
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