American Foursquare Catalog House Plans

Table Of Content

• Reach out to Foursquare
• Wealthy white Louisiana residents win right to split from Baton Rouge and form their own city
• Find Out Which Renowned Homes Were Practically Uninhabitable
• New to Foursquare? We’re ready to help!
• How can Foursquares be modernized without losing their character and charm?
• Upbeat Green Kitchen
• American Foursquare Characteristics

Bedrooms are now called "chambers" in No. 157 from the Sears Modern Homes mail-order catalog, and the exterior squareness of the Foursquare has been modified. If your home was constructed from one of these catalog kits between 1908 and 1914, it may not adhere to typical Foursquare features. Also known as the Prairie Box, the American Foursquare was one of the most popular housing styles in the United States from the mid-1890s to the late 1930s.

Reach out to Foursquare

After graduating from university she spent six months at a publishing company in Milan, then moved to a London-based magazine, where she stayed for six years before turning freelance. Andrea currently writes for Homes & Gardens, Metro, Yahoo and Your Home, and her work has appeared in many other newspapers and magazines, including Daily Mail, Ideal Home, Real Homes and Grand Designs. Architectural magazines printed in 1890s showed upper-middle class homes like the one pictured above located around the country including Denver, Chicago, and Pasadena. As discussed above, the rising middle class loved the Foursquare house for its affordability and aesthetics. Due to the technological advancements in the construction industry during this time, homes were cheaper and faster to build. This efficiency allowed costs to come down to a level that the middle class could afford.

Wealthy white Louisiana residents win right to split from Baton Rouge and form their own city

Keep in mind that exterior colors for the middle class - those who typically owned Foursquares - tended to be inexpensive and durable. This meant browns and grays were most popular even though nowadays the more colorful and vibrant hues are no longer costly. Because people wanted simple, earthy craftsmanship that looked nothing like the eclectic and dramatic architecture of the Victorian era. Distinctive because of its form, Foursquares were considered to be more of a building type rather than an architectural style. Lots of natural light and good cross ventilation were priorities to keeping one’s health at the turn of the century, so large exterior windows and interior transom windows were often incorporated.

Find Out Which Renowned Homes Were Practically Uninhabitable

In the years preceding the Foursquare’s appearance in mass, architects were promoting a rebellion against the existing ornate Queen Anne style. These architects were promoting a simpler, more sensible houses, including this “Rectilinear” style. In addition to being cost-effective to build, Foursquares had a versatility and adaptability loved by the middle class. During this era, complex, ornate Victorian homes were out, and a “back-to-basics” approach to architecture that stressed craftmanship, natural elements and simple design was in.

House In Riverview With Over 8700 Square Feet Sells For $4.5 Million - The Chattanoogan

House In Riverview With Over 8700 Square Feet Sells For $4.5 Million.

Posted: Thu, 15 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Original American foursquare home with a wrap-around porch and smaller than usual windows. Massive gray and white foursquare home on a large lot with a huge porch. Very plain white American foursquare home with a porch that wraps around the side. Gorgeous large foursquare (bordering on a mansion) with above-average ornamentation on the front facade.

In the front of house there was foyer/reception hall and living room, and a dining room and kitchen in the back. Commonly there was an archway between these rooms, except for the kitchen which was the most closed off space on the first floor. However, there are a few Foursquare plans that indicate a center entrance with a symmetrical front façade. To many, they represent the epitome of the classic All-American older home. Portland is fortunate to have so many fine remaining examples.

There's also a rear entry and a front door to a vestibule—many escape routes in this model home. Sometimes known as the "Hamilton," this model has a kitchen that is more integrated into the first floor than other designs. The second floor suggests that a large "storeroom" could be modified to a toilet room. What we may consider standard features today were not commonplace between 1908 and 1914, including indoor plumbing and, most importantly, waste removal. Now for sale at $4.25 million, the house has been extensively updated and enhanced while staying true to the classic architecture.

What is an American Foursquare?

This classic residence in the Spaulding Square neighborhood of Los Angeles has twice been home to showbiz types. Seven years ago, director-turned-period renovator/designer Steven Antin of The Goonies and Burlesque fame set a price record for the historic neighborhood when he sold the 1919 American Foursquare-style home for $2.932 million. Be sure to check out Modern Bungalow's complete guide to historical homes which encompasses the Foursquare as well as a number of other popular styles in the American West. As the country hit an economic boom in the early 1900’s, demand in housing increased at the heart of the city where people were moving for manufacturing jobs. The growing urban middle class was ready for their own homes and were finally able to afford them thanks to the introduction of the Foursquare.

American Foursquare Characteristics

The spacious property located at 46 Betts Road in Belmont was sold on April 3, 2024. The $2,475,000 purchase price works out to $723 per square foot. This three-story home provides a generous living space with its four bedrooms and four bathrooms. The lot of the property covers a substantial area of 7,072 square feet. Despite the style’s emphasis on geometrical regularity, the window and door treatment of the front first story is seldom symmetrical. The front door is usually placed off to the side with the remainder of the lower front left for the large living room window(s).

Craftsman (“bungalow”) interiors—Mission oak furniture, mica lamps, square-spindled staircases—would have been common with the first wave. But Colonial Revival styles were ascendant after 1915, and lush Jazz Age rooms came along in the Twenties. Although often described as a plain box, the Foursquare incorporates appealing elements of the Prairie School and Craftsman styles. And, like the Colonial style, it is also about symmetry and balance. Many Foursquares include heavy piers, square columns, exposed beams, and brick or wood exteriors. Later models had interior layouts similar to the Bungalow – like open floor plans, built-ins, and fireplaces.

Think simple and classic instead of showy like Victorian predecessors. Foursquare owners also tend to love autumn tones - shades of reds, browns, yellows and greens. Instead think about utilizing different shades of the same color.