According to Virginia and Lee McAlester in A Field Guide to American Houses the Neo-French style “has steadily grown in popularity through the 1970s to become a dominant Neoeclectic fashion. The most characteristic feature is a steeply pitched, hipped roof. Facades may be either one or two stories high and either symmetrical or, more commonly, asymmetrical. Doors and windows are frequently round or segmentally arched above; they commonly extend upward through the cornice line. As in other Neoeclectic fashions, little attempt is made to closely follow French prototypes. These free Neo-French interpretations are thus easily distinguished from their more correct pre-1940 predecessors of the French Eclectic style.”
Identifying Features:
As noted in “Architectural Movements of the Recent Past” by Alan Higgins, the defining features of the Neo-French style are:
- High, Steep hipped or gabled roof
- Eaves are often flared or tilted upwards
- Tall window openings
- Symmetrical fenestration
- French and/or casement windows
- Functional and louvered shutters
- Second story windows often break through cornice
- Dormers are typically rounded
Sources:
- Higgins, Alan. “Architectural Movements of the Recent Past,” PDF. http://alan-higgins.com/
- McAlester, Virginia and Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Knopf, 1991.
