Dutch Colonial Architectural Style

If you’ve ever driven through an old neighborhood and spotted a home that looked like a barn married a Georgian house and had perfect shiplap babies—congrats. You’ve met the Dutch Colonial. These homes are like the golden retrievers of architecture: friendly, approachable, and basically impossible to dislike.

Let’s break down why Dutch Colonial homes deserve a spot on the architectural Mount Rushmore, why they became a thing in the first place, and how you can keep yours from falling apart like a 200-year-old game of Jenga.

Origin and History

The Dutch Colonial style came to America via—you guessed it—the Dutch. But not from wooden shoe-wearing tulip farmers; this style was born out of practicality and adaptation.

Timeline:

• Origin: Mid-1600s in the American colonies
• Peak Popularity: First round: 1700–1775
• Revival phase: 1890s–1940s (thanks to the Colonial Revival movement)

The Rise:
Dutch settlers, primarily in what’s now New York, New Jersey, and Delaware, started building homes with steep gambrel roofs to allow for more headroom upstairs without going full three-story mansion. (It’s basically the architectural version of yoga pants: functional, comfortable, and still stylish.)

The style continued in popularity for decades in these areas because of its efficiency of design and usefulness. The Dutch Colonial style is one of the most long-lived architectural styles in America.

That may partially be due to the fact that is was never a nationwide craze like some others styles that caused societal burnout. Styles like the Victorian and Craftsman were so hot that they became a couple decades long flash in the pan just like your favorite one-hit wonders.

Compare that to the Dutch Colonial that had a slow burn over centuries. It wasn’t until the mid-20th century, when post-WWII America wanted modern, ranch-style homes that screamed “TV dinner” instead of “butter churn” that the Dutch finally fell from popularity. The gambrel roof was swapped for low-slung lines, and Dutch Colonials faded into the background—until now.

Where Are They Hiding?

While the OGs were mostly in the Northeast, Dutch Colonial Revival homes popped up all over the U.S. from the 1930s-1940s after the Craftsman craze began to wind down, especially in:

• New York & New Jersey: The homeland
• Connecticut & Pennsylvania: Colonial revival hotbeds
• Midwest & Mid-Atlantic suburbs: Because middle America loves symmetry and cedar shake
• Parts of the South: Yes, even humidity can’t kill this roofline

Defining Features of a Dutch Colonial

Dutch Colonials aren’t just about the roof (though let’s be honest, it’s the Beyoncé of the design). Here’s your deep-dive into what sets them apart:

1. The Gambrel Roof

You know it when you see it: a barn-style roof with two slopes on each side. The upper slope is shallow, and the lower slope is steep—kind of like the incline on your treadmill after New Year’s resolutions kick in. Not to be confused with a mansard roof which has the two-pitched design on all sides a gambrel roof has an open gable on the sides.

Most commonly, Dutch Colonials were side-gabled roofs meaning the two-pitched roof design was shown to the front of the building prominently. Though there are some rare front-gabled examples of the style.

The gambrel roof creates more usable space upstairs without increasing height or adding another story. It’s functional and dramatic—like your aunt who used to be on Broadway.

2. Flared Eaves

The roof often flares out slightly at the bottom—kind of like a good pair of 1970s jeans. This is not only stylish but helps direct rain away from the house which is one of the reasons these homes have lasted so long. These wide eaves really protected the home from the elements and kept the downstairs windows shaded from the hot summer sun.

3. Symmetry (Usually, But Not Always)

Most homes feature a centered door with evenly spaced windows, but not always. Some Dutch Colonials are rebels and go full asymmetrical with side entries and uneven dormers, but these are the exceptions rather than the rule.

Pro tip: Asymmetry often shows up in the Revival styles post-1900.

4. Dormer Windows

Let’s face it: windows popping out of the roof like little architectural puppy eyes are irresistible. Dormers let light in and keep the upstairs feeling spacious. With their focus on extra headroom in the second story dormers were a natural addition to max out that headroom and create a very spacious upper story.

• Types seen: Gabled, shed, or hipped dormers
• Function: Add light and headroom, plus bonus curb appeal

5. Double-Hung Windows with Shutters

Look for 6-over-6 or 8-over-8 windows on most homes, often with working shutters on the originals and decorative shutters on the revival styles common later. In true Colonial fashion, these windows were all about balance, symmetry, and letting in just enough daylight to keep your candle bill down.

Some of these shutters had unique designs carved into the panels of the shutters to add extra interest. Simple images like boats, trees, and crescent moons are often found hanging tough through the decades.

6. Clapboard or Shingle Siding

You’ll often see a mix of materials based on the regional materials available. Carpenter versions made with only wood are most common, but then there are stone base with shingled upper stories and rarely full brick or stone versions.

• Originals (1700s): Fieldstone, brick, or wide wood clapboard
• Revival (1890s–1940s): Wood shingles, cedar shakes, or even faux-stone veneer (God help us)

7. Wide Central Hallways

Inside, you’re looking at a classic center-hall layout. Think stairway in the middle, living room on one side, dining on the other, and a cozy kitchen in the back (probably with a phone nook from 1942).

This was common on Colonial homes due to the efficiency of the design. It is still one of the most effective layouts for use of space in any home design which is why this style has lasted so long.

Dutch Colonial Problems

If you’re lucky enough to own one of these, congrats! You now also own a list of “quirks” longer than your grocery receipt. Seriously though, every house style has issues as they age and the Dutch Colonial is no different. Watch out for these issues.

Sagging Roof Line

This is the most common issue facing any home built with more than one pitch before the invention of trusses. Even though I don’t own a Dutch Colonial house I have a home with a twin pitch and the basic connection back in the day was usually just some toe-nails to secure things.

That doesn’t last forever and many homes may have problems needing retrofitting with Simpson clips to attach things more securely and remove the sag.

Rotten Eaves

Where there is a lot of water there is typically a lot of rot. And eaves handle a lot of water runoff. Look for rot around the fascia and eaves and repair it quickly before it gets out of hand.

Foundation Mortar

When you have those big roofs and wide eaves shooting water down to the foundation without gutters you often get a lot of splash back resulting in failing mortar on the foundation piers. If the mortar joints are looking like they are shy on mortar or excessively mildewed or covered in algae they may need some additional care and concern from you.

Dutch Colonial Resources

Ready to impress your friends with phrases like “gambrel gable termination detail”? I knew it! These books will make you dangerous at dinner parties or whenever Dutch Colonial trivia comes up:

1. A Field Guide to American Houses by Virginia Savage McAlester
   The undisputed heavyweight champion of architectural ID. Dutch Colonial gets the love it deserves.
2. Dutch Colonial Homes in America by Roderic Blackburn
   Packed with practical advice and Dutch Colonial inspirational eye candy.
3. The Old House Journal Guide to Restoration
   The first book I read to learn the foundations of restoring historic homes.

Final Thoughts

So why are people rediscovering Dutch Colonials like they’re vinyl records or sourdough starters?

• Charming but not fussy: The aesthetic strikes that magic balance between formal and cozy.
• Flexible footprint: You can easily add a side or rear addition without ruining the vibe.
• Unmistakable curb appeal: That roof. Those dormers. It’s the architectural equivalent of a warm pie on the windowsill. Yum!

Owning a Dutch Colonial is like having a house that wears a three-piece suit but still drinks black coffee from a chipped mug. It’s stately, solid, and secretly wants to tell you war stories from the 1700s.

So if you’re lucky enough to restore one—or even walk by one—give that curved eave a little nod of respect. It’s been charming Americans longer than baseball and barbecues