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During the 18th century reign of George III, architecture in the United Kingdom went through many changes. In the first half of the century, a traditional “neo-classical” form was developed and introduced by Andrea Palladio. By the 1850s however, an architect by the name of Robert Adam revolutionized this style and proposed a simpler, purer construct. Both of these forms, as well as many others, are considered great variations of the Georgian.
In America, the Georgian style underwent less change. Prior to the Revolutionary War, Americans referred to this form of architecture as Colonial (after the war, the proper term became Federal). Unlike in the United Kingdom, these changes were strictly superficial and the style itself remained much the same.
Between the years of 1915 and 1935, houses were built in reflection of this Colonial style. Although Colonial and Georgian are practically same, there is one difference between the two – Colonials include a portico and Georgians do not. Besides this, the two styles have the following features in common:
- A centered, paneled front door
- A small row of rectangular glass panes beneath the crown
- Ornamented cornices, commonly with dentils
- Windows with double-hung sashes separated by muntins
- Windows aligned symmetrically, never in adjacent pairs
The Georgian can be traced back as Cabbagetown’s earliest architectural style. While there have been many successful restorations of these homes, the three most notable examples are:
- 35 Spruce Street
- 21 and 85 Winchester Street
