Building Styles

Buildings come in many different formats, or types, that are characterized in this guide mostly by a particular floor or structural plan. Take, for example, the hall-parlor plan that was popular from the early settlement of Utah up into the early twentieth century. Although the plan remained consistent for those sixty or so years, what did change was the style, or the exterior appearance of the house. While early examples were fairly plain and austere, those with a little more affluence could adorn their house in the classical influences of the Greek Revival or Federal styles of architecture. And as time passed and Victorianism prevailed, hints of the various facets of this style could be seen in areas such as windows and window trim, doors, cornice detail, and window and door arches. So, in short, style basically is any applied architectural detail on a building that adds to the basic form.