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Residential Architecture (2.1)

Description (2.1.1)

Historic residential architecture in Elizabeth City is comprised almost exclusively of single-family dwellings erected between 1793 and 1942. Single-family houses in Elizabeth City follow several basic, popular forms and plans. The finish of each of these dwellings is influenced by one or more of the prevailing styles of its period of construction, and completed with a level of decoration that usually reflected the economic means and social status of the original owner or occupant. Many, however, defy stylistic categorization and follow instead traditional house forms ornamented with period decoration such as sawn and turned millwork. Single- and double-pile house forms were utilized in Elizabeth City from the 1790s through the first two decades of the twentieth century--almost the entire span of the city's architectural and historical period of significance--and provided an enduring base for successive stylistic and decorative modes. Frame construction predominated throughout the city's historic period and the vast majority were originally covered with weatherboards. Since World War II, some have been covered with modern materials, namely asphalt and asbestos shingles or, more recently, aluminum and vinyl siding. Masonry houses, usually brick veneer, were not erected in appreciable numbers until the 1920s. Residential architecture is described first in terms of form, and then in terms of style.

1. Single-Family Houses (2.1.1.1)

   1. Traditional and Popular Forms (2.1.1.1.1)

      1. Single-Pile Houses (2.1.1.1.1.1)

      2. Double-Pile Houses (2.1.1.1.1.2)

      3. L- and T-Plan (2.1.1.1.1.3)

   2. Popular Styles of the late 18th and early 19th Centuries (2.1.1.1.2)

      1. Georgian and Federal (2.1.1.1.2.1)

   3. Antebellum Styles (2.1.1.1.3)

      1. Greek Revival (2.1.1.1.3.1)

   4. Late Nineteenth Century Victorian Styles (2.1.1.1.4)

      1. Traditional Forms with Millwork Decoration (2.1.1.1.4.1)

      2. Oueen Anne Style (2.1.1.1.4.2)

   5. Early Twentieth Century Styles (2.1.1.1.5)

      1. Colonial Revival (2.1.1.1.5.1)

      2. Neo-Classical Revival (2.1.1.1.5.2)

      3. Tudor Revival (2.1.1.1.5.3)

      4. American Foursquare (2.1.1.1.5.4)

      5. Craftsman Bungalow (2.1.1.1.5.5)

2. Multiple-Family Dwellings (2.1.1.2)