The Federal style, with its light, curved, and delicate detailing inspired by buildings of ancient Rome, was the first major architectural style in Vermont. It was popular here from the late 1700s to the 1830s. Builders learned about the style from each other and were influenced by architectural pattern books published by master builders.

Once settlement was well established, Vermonters built attractive permanent buildings--houses, churches, and stores-- in the new Federal style. The stylistic focus is on the main entry--a panelled door often framed by half or three-quarter length sidelights and thin pilasters or columns. The door is often crowned by a semi-elliptical window called a fanlight, transom, or delicate horizontal woodwork called an entablature. Similar fans or fanlights are often found in the gable end in the attic area of the building. Very stylish buildings may have a three part window, called a Palladian window, on the second floor above the door. Detailed wooden trim often runs under the roofline.

Windows in the Federal period usually have a number of small panes of glass because it was difficult to make large pieces of glass. There might be 12, 8, or 6 panes in both the top and bottom window sashes. Paint colors were limited, the most popular being yellow, ochre, or white. Outbuildings and even the non-public side of more important buildings often were painted red, the most economical paint color for the period.

"If mouldings are only composed of parts of a circle, and straight lines, they are called Roman; because the Romans, in their buildings, seldom or never, employed any other curve for mouldings, than that of a circle."

Vermont Heritage Network
Historic Preservation Program
Wheeler House, University of Vermont
Burlington, VT 05405
(802)656-3180
http://www.uvm.edu/~vhnet
E-mail To: vhnet@zoo.uvm.edu