Common House Designs in the 1940s & 1950s

Cape Cod

• The Cape Cod became popular during the 1930s and its popularity continued through the 1950s. The Cape Cod was mass-produced, economical, spartan in appearance and commonly built in suburban developments. This style typically had one story, a steep roof, a small roof overhang and a central chimney. Cape Cod homes were usually made of wood and covered with clapboard or shingles; shutters were also a common design element.

Colonial Revival

• Colonial Revival homes became popular due to a growing interest in the American colonial period. These homes were known for being rectangular in shape, formal and symmetrical. Common design elements included a centered front door, columns and double-hung, mulitpaned windows. Colonial Revival homes were typically covered in clapboard or brick, and were usually one to three stories tall.

Ranch

• The ranch-style home is often associated with 1950s American suburbs. Common design elements of ranch homes included long, horizontal footprints and asymmetrical facades. In the 1940s, ranch homes were less adorned; however, by the 1960s many had attached garages and large picture windows. The evolution of the ranch home was heavily influenced by the advent of American automobile culture.