About Dutch Colonial Houses

Gambrel Roof

• Dutch Colonial houses use a gambrel-style roof. This was roof with two rectangular surfaces on each side, each with a different pitch. There was a relatively flat pitch at the top of the roof and a steep pitch at the bottom. The top surface was smaller than the bottom surface. The gambrel roof allowed settlers to fit living quarters directly under the roof, making for a more efficient use of space and building materials. It is the same solution to the problem of limited space that barns use.

Tax Break

• The double-pitched roof gave the early settlers of America another benefit as well: tax relief. Single-story houses were taxed at a lower rate than two-story houses. Because the upper story of a Dutch Colonial was technically an attic, owners of those houses paid lower property taxes.

Other Features

• Aspects of Dutch Colonial houses other than the roof vary quite widely. They could be built out of brick, wood or stone. Entrances could be placed off to one side, or centered in the front of the house. Chimneys could be either internal or external. Dutch Colonial houses could have either a simple rectangular shape or take the form of an asymmetrical cluster of additions.

Substyles

• There are a few distinctive variations on the Dutch Colonial house. The Rural Dutch Colonial style had gambrel roofs that curved upwards at the bottom. These "flying gutters," as they were called, were a necessity in the poorer rural regions, where houses were often built out of clay. The clay walls were easily damaged by rain and snow melt; the gutter offered protection. The Dutch Colonial Revival style was built widely during the 1920s. These houses looked very much like the original Dutch Colonial houses, with small additions such as gable-end decorative windows.