Cotswold Revival Architecture
Cotswold Revival Architecture comes from the Cotswold region of England where the medieval style cottages were first created. During the 1920’s, Americans made an attempt to recapture the same look and feel of these cottages here in their own country.
The style of the cottages actually comes from the Tudor revival style which emphasized the simple and less impressed aspects of Tudor architecture. American architects attempted to create modern style of these medieval homes by using many of the same traditional aspects and incorporating them with the current modern traits of American homes. These homes became a popular style of living during this era as many Americans were able to appreciate a different style of home that they were accustomed too.
[ A Cotswold Revival Home in Willo Historic District in Phoenix - Photo: Artur Ciesielski]
The Cotswold Architecture style offered a different type of home that connected with American Ancestor. This medieval style of home was a small home that differed greatly from the style of homes that were sweeping the progressing American society. In this time of revival throughout the country, the Cotswold Architectural structures presented a “dark” aspect to living which differ from the Colonial aspect that most of the country was reviving. This small, compact style of home featured a steep sloping, sometimes uneven roof. The homes were made of primarily dark colored brick or stone.
The gable roofs that most of these homes consisted of are something that significantly separated this type of home from others that were popular during this time in America. Each of these medieval cottages had brick or stone chimneys that were usually located near the front door. This provided a different look on the home by making the chimney a primary feature of the home. Most homes in this time had a small chimney on the roof that did not stand out.
While most of the historic homes that were being recreated throughout the country had many windows that offered light through the home, these Cotswold architectural structures did not have many windows. The windows that were present through the cottages structure consisted of small panes. The low arched doors and asymmetrical homes significantly differed from the other style of homes in America at the time. The sloping roof made the rooms in the upper level of the cottage small and irregularly shaped with sloping walls.
The Tudor style architecture that Cotswold descended from was a reaction to the Victorian Gothic style that was present in the later part of the 19th century. This style of architecture differ from the mass production of homes that came as a result of industrial movement in American society.
The Tudor revival era first introduced the steep roofs, high chimneys,and various types of brickwork to the American society. Using the Tudor style as its guide,architects began to introduce the Cotswold style cottages to American living. This form of home was also called Storybook Style because its features made it seem as though it was taken from a classic fairytale. The storybook feature to this medieval styled cottage made Cotswold Architecture popular during the Tudor Revival era.
In Phoenix beautiful examples of this architectural style can be seen in Encanto Palmcroft and Willo.
Learn about the architecture and the different architectural styles present in Phoenix.
