Housing

Sam Lewis
English Comp.
Rough Draft
Essay 2
October 8, 2012

From Brick To Brick From gothic to colonial to Queen Ann style there are many different types of homes in Quincy, Illinois. Quincy has a rich architectural history filled with many interesting designs and styles. Some of these styles include colonial, vernacular, Queen Ann, Gothic and Romanesque. One can distinguish between the different types of houses by noticing various features such as columns, roofing, chimneys, decorations and brick style. Based off the construction and detailing on the house one can decide what type of house it is. Most people are not aware of how many different styles of houses there are in the world. The style of house varies due to its time of origin and country of origin. For example, a house in Moscow in 1980 will differ from a house in Chicago 2012 because the cultures and beliefs are different. There were also many architectural advances between 1980 and 2012. Things change over time and like the differences between the two time periods, the houses in Quincy are different from other houses around the country. These factors are important to keep in mind when evaluating the architecture of a house. Located at 205 South 16th Street stands a house different from most. Its brick is layed in an orthodox pattern and its windows are long and narrow. The slender columns around the front porch suggest a Queen Ann style of house, but its curved roofing and widows walk make it more of a vernacular type of home. The house has multiple embellishments which also suggest that it could be a Queen Ann type of building because Queen Ann style homes have numerous amounts of detail and small, slender columns. For instance, this particular home has detailing on the crowning above the windows. Above the windows and front door is a structure that is painted yellow and has several details carved into it to make it look similar to the edge of lace. This draws attention to the windows and makes them look taller and more appealing to the naked eye. The detailing is important to this house because it sets it apart from other houses in Quincy. This house is trimmed with red, green and yellow paint and black shingles. The columns are wrapped with bands of green, yellow and red like ribbons. The columns are skinnier than most with thicker edging around the top to add more detailing to the house. The porch wraps around the house and to the garage. On one edge of the porch the roof is in a turret shaped dome. This is just another way the builder made the house more interesting. The garage is on the side of the house but has a roof over the back driveway. The chimney is made of the same red brick as the rest of the house. The chimney sits on the eastern side of the roof. The sidewalk is brick as well but, lays in a different pattern from the house. The pattern is straighter and does not resemble a specific pattern other than straight bricks aligned like tiny army men in front of the house. The front door is made up of two wooden doors, made mostly of glass. These doors are also furnished with much detail to make them look more elaborate and classy. Oddly enough, the doors do not match the rest of the house. The wood is much lighter than the brick which makes them stand out like a sore thumb. Perhaps the builder should have stained the doors to a darker shade so that they would match the house favorably. Above the door is a smaller window for ventilation. Many older homes have this feature because is helps hot air that has risen to the top of the main hallway escape and cool the home down faster. Encompassing the door and window is green painted trim with red squares. This serves as an attention getter because it makes the front door stick out more to someone who could be driving or walking past the house. The roof is double bracketed which structurally serves no purpose but is there simply for looks. This double bracket style is popular in many homes because some residents find it appealing to the eye. Builders think it makes the house look more classy and elegant. In between the brackets are small inverted red triangles that look like jagged teeth hanging from the roof. This small but significant detail serves and one more embellishment that make this house beautiful. Just down the street sit’s a house on the corner of 18th and Maine Street. The house at first glance looks to be a colonial style structure. When taking a closer look, one can notice the massive, sturdy set columns in the front of the home. The columns are painted white to match the trim on the house as well as the windows, shutters and gutters. These columns support a black, shingled roof over the front door and front porch. It is not much of a porch though. It is small and can not be bigger than eight foot by six foot. Hanging from the porch roof is a chandelier type, outdoor light. It adds class and a bit of elegance to the plain style house. There is a small balcony above the front door that is accessible from two generous sized windows. Below these windows is the front door. The door is made of a dark colored wood. On both sides of the door are windows with white lattice work designs in them. The house is built of brick with several windows as well as a chimney on each side of the house. It is not very elegant looking but is simple and has a sense of imperialness. The house sits on a slight incline so stairs made of brick lead up to the main sidewalk that leads to the main door. The brick on the stairs is made of the same brink that the house is made of. This is important when designing a home because all features should match or else the house will look like a hodge podge of different styles, building techniques and materials. This is not good because the house will not be appealing to the resident of any passerby. This house is of great size and regality. It resembles a potion of the white house in a way because of the white columns in front of the house and the widows walk above the front door. Although the time of which these houses were built is not known exactly, they both have been built within the last 200 years. These house are in excellent condition for being built a long time ago. They both look very structurally stable and are still very stylish houses. They both have clean, fresh pain on the shutters and columns and the roofing is in tact. The residents have taken very good care of these houses and they will stand for years to come. Quincy is known for great architecture. These two houses prove that. They are both from different time period and are different types of homes but they both are great examples of historic architecture. Each house is different and classic in its own way. The architecture of a house is very important. In these two homes the architecture is different but still displays a sense of class and historic design.