Traditional Architecture
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Foursquare Homes Come Full Circle in U.S. Architecture
Originally plain and boxy, foursquares now incorporate Craftsman features and other charming architectural details
Houzz Contributor. I'm an interior designer, homeowner and founding blogger of the before + after super-site, http://www.raenovate.com/.
Houzz Contributor. I'm an interior designer, homeowner and founding blogger... More »
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Popular in the United States from the 1890s to the 1930s, the straightforward American foursquare home was created in reaction to ornate Victorian architecture. With a simple, boxy design, hip roof, center dormer and front porch, American foursquares were efficient and economical to build.
Their straightforward floor plans were typically quartered, as in, two rooms deep by two rooms wide on both stories. The exterior's cubic shape and the interior's simple floor plan spoke to the masses, but homeowners craved hand-crafted detailing and architectural charm. In reaction to this, many builders began to incorporate Craftsman-style characteristics. You're likely to find foursquare homes all across the U.S., each with its own economical floor plan, front porch, symmetrical facade and understated nature.
Their straightforward floor plans were typically quartered, as in, two rooms deep by two rooms wide on both stories. The exterior's cubic shape and the interior's simple floor plan spoke to the masses, but homeowners craved hand-crafted detailing and architectural charm. In reaction to this, many builders began to incorporate Craftsman-style characteristics. You're likely to find foursquare homes all across the U.S., each with its own economical floor plan, front porch, symmetrical facade and understated nature.
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This historic Virginia foursquare home received an addition and a restoration that focused on maintaining its classic proportions and characteristics.
by Paragon Designs
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Partial-width front porches are a common exterior characteristic of American foursquare homes. This Nashville residence also features Craftsman characteristics such as stone pedestals, a three-panel front door and square-tapered columns.
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by First Lamp
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| American foursquare homes often have wide eaves with exposed rafter tails. |
| An offset front entrance on an otherwise symmetrical front facade is quite common on American foursquare-style homes that lack a formal foyer. |
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by Brooks Ballard
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| This residence pays homage to the foursquare's Craftsman influence. Historical characteristics include the home's dormer, brick porch pedestals, Prairie-style window muntins and ribbon driveway. |
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| A bunny weather vane adds a crowning touch to this classic American foursquare in Minneapolis. |
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| Symmetrical American foursquare style incorporates elements of Craftsman style, such as square-tapered columns. |
| Foursquares feature a simple floor plan that is typically quartered. They're most often two rooms deep by two rooms wide, with a traditional dining room and living room at the front of the house, separated by a foyer and staircase. |
| The kitchen is always found in a back quarter of the first floor, leading to a backyard. You're also likely to find push-button light switches in authentic foursquares. |
Comments
dianestyle Just plain pretty! functional and pleasing to the eye without being fussy. Love the article!
6 months ago · Like
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toberly22 My wife and I just moved into a country four-square and your descriptions are right on the money!!
6 months ago · Like
Tiffany Fawcett_Miller I love American foursquares. I grew up in a traditional brick foursquare in Wisconsin, and now my husband and I are building a more contemporary foursquare to fit all of our wants and needs (office/den, first floor master and laundry, all of the things we would love to have that a traditional foursquare doesn't accomodate).
6 months ago · Like
sjmom Have sold a few of these. Usually pretty spacious and much can be done with them.
6 months ago · Like
CAROLE MEYER I lived in one of these for 25 years and still love that old house!
6 months ago · Like
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lhteathyme How about a little info on the Kansas City Shirt Waist- a KC version of the four square?
6 months ago · Like
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MasterDevCo One of my relatives owned a 18th-century two-level New England "foursquare" in Ashaway, RI. The wood framed house's main feature was the central brick & stone chimney with multiple fireplaces for various rooms on both levels, the only heat source back in the day and very effective. The Victorian area homes may have emulated these earlier versions.
6 months ago · Like
baha I like the traditional, simplistic design and I quite like the kitchen that is featured--still room for others to hang out! I like that the kitchens look out into the backyard!
6 months ago · Like
woolylam Our foursquare is our major hobby. It reminds me of a cottage in the front with victorian posts. Has a very different style kitchen addition to the rear. And has craftsman style glass cabinets inside. This home is so cozy and warm. We love it! 
6 months ago · Like
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Britastina My Grandparents had a 4 square and it was wonderful! The porch (they called it "The Piazza") ran across the front and it was a magical place to spend an afternoon. All of the nooks and crannies inside made it enchanting for a child. You could (and we did) imagine it as a fort, a castle, a maze, anything we wanted. Christmas in Massachusetts is very special and this house made it even more so. I wish I could go back, just one more time.
6 months ago · Like
Fine Art & Portraits by Laurel Still a sensible floor plan. I don't love the 'open plan'. I like a separate dining room and kitchen. I like that they have a foyer, so you don't walk straight into the living room or, worse, the kitchen.
6 months ago · Like
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tudormomb My husband and I recently bought a newish American Foursquare home, rethought for today's living. The front two rooms are dining and an office, the back "two rooms" is actually a great room; kitchen on one side, living on the other with an eating area and mud room at the back end. It is ideally suited to us! 
6 months ago · Like
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galleykitchengirl Why yes, I am a fan. Kind of cut off in the rooms, but those porches can't be beat!
6 months ago · Like
adk_tj I believe my house is a four square: foyer and living room up front, dining and kitchen toward the rear. Upstairs are 3 bedrooms and the bath above the kitchen. The only difference is my house has an inverted roof, meaning it flows toward the center and then down a central drain pipe to the sewer. Weird, huh? The "attic" is just a few feet high at the eaves and the rafters slope in, and there's a roof hatch. Anyone have any info or ideas on why??? I believe it was built in 1913 (I found a newspaper receipt in a wall once). 
6 months ago · Like
Ideabook published on Nov. 22, 2012.
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