Descriptions of Houses Joel built

Craftsman

Common features of the Craftsman style are broad, low-pitched, roof (usually gabled) with wide, open eaves exposed structural elements such as rafters, roof beams, verge boards, and knee braces and square or battered porch piers. Brick, stone, stucco, wood siding, and shingles are all common exterior materials. Houses feature open interiors with prominent hearth built-in furniture and natural woodwork. Craftsman commercial buildings are usually brick, with accents of stone, terra cotta, or decorative brick patterns.

Colonial Revival

Common features of the Colonial Revival style symmetrically balanced facade with a central door and entry porch: classically inspired features such as pilasters, columns, pediments, fanlights, and sidelights: double-hung windows with multiple panes of glass, and prominent cornices decorated with dentils or modillions.

Dutch Colonial Revival

Common features of the Dutch Colonial Revival are front-facing gambrel roofs or cross-gambrels, side gambrels roofs, and often with full shed dormers. The unique gambrel roofs of Dutch Colonial architecture allowed for more headroom in the second story. Shorter lumber could be used for roofing rafters. Decorative details are similar to the Colonial revival style.

American Four-square

Practically, simplicity, and value best described the American Four-square architecture. Interior plans were open and efficient, utilizing all available space. Exteriors are box-like in shape, with two full stories, a hipped roof with a front-facing former and comfortable porch. The simple form of this architecture could be dressed in a variety of popular period styles, Colonial Revival, Colonial Revival and Prairie-influences homes were some of the styles

Descriptions were obtained from the Fort Wayne Interim Report Indiana Historic Sites and Structures Inventory, p. 18, 19 and 20.