The Romantic Houses (1820–1885): Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, and Italianate

In the years following the War of 1812, the United States began establishing its own architectural identity. Georgian architecture had dominated the English colonies during the early 18th century, but it gradually gave way to the Greek Revival style, which expressed the democratic ideals of America’s new republic.

Greek Revival (1825–1860)

Greek Revival architecture is characterized by a low-pitched gable or hipped roof and a prominent cornice line. This cornice is typically emphasized by a wide band of trim divided into two parts: the frieze above and the architrave below. Porches are often supported by Doric columns and may extend the full width of the façade or frame a central entry.

The front door is typically elaborate, often flanked by sidelights and topped by a rectangular transom window. Windows are usually symmetrically arranged and frequently accompanied by operable louvered shutters, which were both decorative and functional.

The scale and proportions of Greek Revival homes—particularly two-story houses with tall columns—naturally accommodate tall exterior shutters. These shutters were typically louvered, allowing ventilation while protecting interiors from sun and rain. While the exact shutter design varied, tall shutters were often divided into multiple sections by horizontal rails, which strengthened the structure and created visually balanced proportions.

Greek Revival houses display several variations depending on whether they are grand estates or more modest townhouses. In many common designs, a one-story entry porch frames the front door while two windows flank the entrance on the first floor and three symmetrical windows appear above on the second floor.

Unlike Federal-style houses, where upper-story windows were sometimes smaller, Greek Revival homes often maintained consistent window proportions between floors.

Notable examples of Greek Revival architecture featuring tall louvered shutters include:

• Clarke-Ford House, Chicago (1836)
• Old Governor’s Mansion, Georgia (1839)
• Neil Cochran House, Texas (1855)

Craftspeople today continue to reproduce these historically inspired shutters. In the early nineteenth century, shutters were typically constructed from locally available woods such as Atlantic white cedar in New England or cypress in the South. Modern craftsmen may use durable hardwoods such as mahogany or advanced materials designed to replicate the appearance of traditional wood while requiring less maintenance.

Many modern shutter manufacturers also offer historically inspired paint colors based on documented historic palettes, including hues such as Palladian Blue, Van Buren Brown, and Gettysburg Gray.

The Influence of Pattern Books

In 1842, landscape designer and architectural writer Andrew Jackson Downing published one of the most influential pattern books of the nineteenth century: Cottage Residences. This book presented detailed façade drawings and design guidance that introduced builders and homeowners to new architectural styles beyond the ubiquitous Greek Revival.

Downing’s work helped popularize several new romantic architectural styles, including Gothic Revival.

Gothic Revival (1840–1880)

Drawing inspiration from medieval European architecture, Gothic Revival houses became increasingly popular beginning in the 1840s.

These homes typically featured steeply pitched roofs, decorative gables with ornate trusses, and tall windows with pointed arches or diamond-patterned panes. Porches were often supported by slender columns and adorned with decorative wood trim.

Unlike earlier classical styles, Gothic Revival embraced asymmetry. Houses were frequently irregular in form, with towers, cross-gables, and varied window shapes that created a picturesque appearance.

Shutters on Gothic Revival houses often followed the tall proportions of the windows they protected. On the first floor, shutters might extend nearly from the porch floor to the top of the window opening, while upper-story shutters were often shorter.

Because of the Gothic style’s emphasis on variety and ornamentation, shutters were sometimes crafted in distinctive shapes. Arch-top shutters could follow the curve of Gothic windows, while radius-top shutters complemented the style’s dramatic lines.

The ability to produce custom shapes and sizes remains an important part of modern historic shutter replication, reflecting the same spirit of creativity and adaptation that nineteenth-century builders experienced when they encountered new designs in pattern books.

Italianate (1840–1885)

The Italianate style continued the Romantic period’s move toward greater exterior ornamentation.

Italianate houses were typically two or three stories tall with low-pitched roofs and wide overhanging eaves supported by decorative brackets. Windows were tall and narrow, often topped with arches, curved crowns, or decorative hoods.

Another defining feature of the style is the square cupola or tower, inspired by the villas of the Italian countryside.

Italianate windows often appear in pairs or groups of three, and bay windows—sometimes extending one or two stories—are also common.

Exterior shutters, when present, are typically tall and proportioned to match the vertical emphasis of the windows. In some Midwestern Italianate houses shutters were omitted, but in coastal or southern regions they were more common due to their functional benefits.

Examples of Italianate houses with shutters can be found in places such as Cape May, New Jersey, and Salisbury, North Carolina. These homes often feature arch-top shutters on bay windows and radius-top louvered shutters flanking tall windows on the main façade.

Function as Well as Beauty

Throughout the nineteenth century—long before the invention of air conditioning—porches and louvered shutters played an important role in maintaining comfortable interiors. Louvers allowed air to circulate while shielding interiors from harsh sunlight and rain, particularly in warm or coastal climates.

Today, exterior shutters continue to serve both functional and decorative roles, preserving the character of American architecture from the Romantic house period of the nineteenth century.

Additional Periods in America’s Architectural Journey

• Federal (1780–1820)

•  Early Classical Revival (1770–1830)

• Greek Revival (1825–1860)

• Gothic Revival (1840–1880)

• Italianate (1840–1885)

• Queen Anne (1880–1910)

• Colonial Revival (1880–1955)

• Craftsman (1905–1930)

Editor’s Note

Other architectural styles—including Romanesque, Spanish Revival, and Tudor—are also important in American design history. However, these styles used exterior shutters less frequently than the periods highlighted above.