Pointed Gothic Cottages were most popular from the 1830's until the 1870's. Some of the major designers and advocates of the style were Andrew Jackson Downing, Alexander Jackson Davis, Samuel Sloan, and Oliver P. Smith. Architect Calvert Vaux used Gothic elements in his architecture, but did not usually design pure Pointed Gothic Cottage designs.
Image of Cottage, above, from Oliver P. Smith, Architect, The Domestic Architect: Comprising a Series of Original Designs for Rural and Ornamental Cottages, With Full and Complete Explanations and Direction to the Builder, Embracing the Elemental Principles of the Grecian and Cottage Styles, with Primary Rules for Drawing and Shading, and the Rudiments of Linear Perspecive. Illustrated by over Two Hundred Engravings., Ivison & Phinney, New York, 1854.
Roof: The roof line is usually very steeply pitched, with gables. Single, double, or triple gabled fronts are often seen. [Gable with barge-board or verge-board and pendant seen in sketch above.]
Image of Gable with Verge-Board, above, from Calvert Vaux, Villas and Cottages. A series of Designs Prepared for Execution in the United States, Harper & Brothers, Publishers, New York, 1857.
Chimneys: The chimneys are often interior and not extremely large. The chimneys are often topped with decorative chimney-pots (or, as Downing called them, chimney-tops) [see illustration above].
Image of chimney-tops, above, from A. J. Downing, The Architecture of Country Houses, D. Appleton & Company, 1850.
Exterior Walls: Vertical wood siding (also known as board and batten) and brick are two of the more common materials. Stone, shiplap (flush) wood siding, and stucco were also used.
Image of board and batten siding, above, detail from house design from Oliver P. Smith, Architect, The Domestic Architect: Comprising a Series of Original Designs for Rural and Ornamental Cottages, With Full and Complete Explanations and Direction to the Builder, Embracing the Elemental Principles of the Grecian and Cottage Styles, with Primary Rules for Drawing and Shading, and the Rudiments of Linear Perspecive. Illustrated by over Two Hundred Engravings., Ivison & Phinney, New York, 1854.
Windows: Windows with diamond panes were popular. One or two bay windows were often used on the main floor, either on the front or side. Casement windows were another option [see casement window with diamond panes, gothic ornamentation, and lintel above].
Exterior shutters were not popular on Gothic homes.
Image of casement window, above, from A. J. Downing, The Architecture of Country Houses, D. Appleton & Company, 1850.
Number of stories: Typically two main floors, perhaps with a cellar or basement below, and an attic above. Because of the steep roof, attics were often of limited use as living space. Occasionally a one-story plus attic example is seen; or a three story, plus attic and cellar.
Porches: Usually some sort of porch is seen. The size of the porch can vary from little more than a stoop, to a full veranda. Whatever the size, it is decorated with decorative woodwork.
Image of porch, above, detail from house design in A. J. Downing, The Architecture of Country Houses, D. Appleton & Company, 1850.
Exterior Ornamentation: Verge-boards or barge-boards (same thing, different name) with pendant, or "icicle" or "fringe" decoration are usually seen decorating the gables of the roof, and often the porch.
Image of cornice with ornamented barge-board, left, and gable fringe with pendant, right, above, from Oliver P. Smith, Architect, The Domestic Architect: Comprising a Series of Original Designs for Rural and Ornamental Cottages, With Full and Complete Explanations and Direction to the Builder, Embracing the Elemental Principles of the Grecian and Cottage Styles, with Primary Rules for Drawing and Shading, and the Rudiments of Linear Perspecive. Illustrated by over Two Hundred Engravings., Ivison & Phinney, New York, 1854.
Digital editing of images by Sarah E. Mitchell. Text by Sarah E. Mitchell unless otherwise noted.
Copyright © 2003 Sarah E. Mitchell