Foursquare

American Foursquare

Starting in the mid-1890s, the American Foursquare came along as answer to and departure from the ornate, decorative Victorian styles that had dominated Portland. From about 1895 to 1935 or so, the American Foursquare became one of the most popular housing styles across the country. Simple and straight-forward, with logical plans and handcrafted woodwork, the Foursquare was equally well suited to rural farmland or rectangular city lots.

Often called the Old-PDX style locally, the Foursquare moniker, unlike the misnamed Queen Anne, fits the style perfectly. Generally two and half stories with a simple squarish shape, the house originally featured four boxy rooms per floor…hence the title, Foursquare. Efficiency, spaciousness and craftsmanship were the hallmarks of the style, which tended to use local materials for the exteriors. Exteriors can range from cedar plank siding to cedar shingles to brick and even stucco, depending on the locale.

From Wikipedia:

The American Foursquare is an American house style popular from the mid-1890s to the late 1930s. A reaction to the ornate and mass produced elements of the Victorian and other Revival styles popular throughout the last half of the 19th century, the American Foursquare was plain, often incorporating handcrafted “honest” woodwork (unless purchased from a mail-order catalogue). This style incorporates elements of the Prairie School and the Craftsman styles. It is also sometimes called Transitional Pyramid.

The hallmarks of the style include a basically square, boxy design, two-and-one-half stories high, usually with four large, boxy rooms to a floor, a center dormer, and a large front porch with wide stairs. The boxy shape provides a maximum amount of interior room space, to use a small city lot to best advantage. Other common features included a hipped roof, arched entries between common rooms, built-in cabinetry, and Craftsman-style woodwork.

Stylistic elements: