The Dr. Holladay House in Orange, Virginia. The original brick house (ca. 1830) was a Federal-style I-House.Structural failure reveals the interior layout of this house near Craigsville, Virginia. Second-floor rooms on the right side of the house feature doorways into a central hallway.
He chose the name "I-house" because the style was commonly built in the rural farm areas of Indiana, Illinois and Iowa, all states beginning with the letter "I".[4] But he was not implying that this house type originated in, or was restricted to, those three states.[1] It is also referred to as Plantation Plain style.
Moss Hill in Wilcox County, Alabama (c.1845), an I-house with front and rear shed rooms and a partial front porch.Cohasset (c. 1873), with a full shed-roof front porch and rear shed rooms in Hampton County, South Carolina.
The I-house developed from traditional 17th-century British folk house types, such as the hall and parlor house and central-passage house. It became a popular house form in the Mid-Atlantic and Southern United States at an early date,[5] but can be found throughout most of the country in areas that were settled by the mid-19th century. It is especially prevalent through the culturally mixed midland, an area through central Pennsylvania and through Ohio, Indiana and Illinois (or approximate to the old National Road, and now paralleled by Interstate 70). I-houses generally feature gables to the side and are at least two rooms in length, one room deep, and two full stories in height.[5] They also often have a rear wing or ell for a kitchen or additional space. The facade of an I-house tends to be symmetrical. They were constructed in a variety of materials, including logs, wood frame, brick or stone.
In his book on folk architecture in north-central Missouri, Marshall devotes nine pages to the I-house after investigation of close to 100 old houses in the “Little Dixie” region of Missouri.[6] He calls the I-house the “Farmer’s Mansion.” It is the Southern-style house sought by a middle-class planter, a symbol of his success. (DW Meinig introduces the I-house and the dogtrot as symbols of Southern influence in his Shaping of America.)[7] In Little Dixie, originally settled primarily by migrants from the Upper South, settlers were so eager to build an I-house that many lived in tents until they completed their new buildings.
Marshall classifies folk houses by type using rules developed by Henry Glassie in the late 20th century.[8] The basic unit is a sixteen by sixteen foot “hall”, called a pen. A single pen house might be a typical log cabin. Combinations define other types. A two-story, single pen house is known as a stack house. Pens can also be extended side by side to create a two-pen house, which with a central hall becomes a dogtrot. A two-story, two-pen house is the basic I-house. The house may by modified by additions, but the pen system provides a classification.
These nineteenth-century houses lacked indoor plumbing and central heating. The classical I-house has fireplaces in each room. In Missouri I-houses were built from about 1820 to 1890. The style was brought to the US by the Scots-Irish.
Because of the popularity and simple form of the I-house, decorative elements of popular architectural styles were often used. Through the 1840s, front porches and any decoration were primarily designed in the restrained Federal manner. The Greek Revival style was also used during the 1840s and 1850s. The I-house was also adapted to Gothic Revival and Italianate styles during the mid-19th century.[9] Late 19th-century I-houses often featured Queen Anne and Eastlake-Stick style details.
I-house with sheds (Plantation Plain)edit
In the South a variation of the I-house, with one-story, rear shed rooms and usually a full-width front porch, is often referred to as the Plantation Plain house type.[10][11] It is more directly described as an I-house with sheds.[5]
^ abcGamble, Robert Historic Architecture in Alabama: A Guide to Styles and Types, 1810-1930, pages 29-32. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: The University of Alabama Press, 1990. ISBN0-8173-1134-3.
^Marshall, Howard Wight (1981). Folk Architecture in Little Dixie: A Regional Culture in Missouri. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press. pp. 62–71.
^Meinig, Donald William (1993). The Shaping of America: A Geographical Perspective on 500 Years of History, Vol. 2: Continental America, 1800-1867. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. pp. 274, 280.
^Glassie, Henry (1967). Pattern in the Material Folk Culture of the Eastern United States. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press.
^"2001 Home and Garden Tour". West Central Neighborhood Association. Retrieved 2008-10-04.
^"Plantation Architecture in Alabama". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Alabama Humanities Foundation. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
^"Colonial Architecture: Overview". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Georgia Humanities Council and the University of Georgia Press. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to I-houses.
Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - I-House
January 01, 1970
house, this, article, about, historic, house, type, clayton, house, clayton, homes, vernacular, house, type, popular, united, states, from, colonial, period, onward, named, 1930s, fred, kniffen, cultural, geographer, louisiana, state, university, specialist, f. This article is about the historic house type For the Clayton I House see Clayton Homes The I house is a vernacular house type popular in the United States from the colonial period onward The I house was so named in the 1930s by Fred Kniffen a cultural geographer at Louisiana State University who was a specialist in folk architecture He identified and analyzed the type in his 1936 study of Louisiana house types 1 2 3 The Dr Holladay House in Orange Virginia The original brick house ca 1830 was a Federal style I House Structural failure reveals the interior layout of this house near Craigsville Virginia Second floor rooms on the right side of the house feature doorways into a central hallway He chose the name I house because the style was commonly built in the rural farm areas of Indiana Illinois and Iowa all states beginning with the letter I 4 But he was not implying that this house type originated in or was restricted to those three states 1 It is also referred to as Plantation Plain style Contents 1 History and defining characteristics 1 1 I house with sheds Plantation Plain 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksHistory and defining characteristics edit nbsp Moss Hill in Wilcox County Alabama c 1845 an I house with front and rear shed rooms and a partial front porch nbsp Cohasset c 1873 with a full shed roof front porch and rear shed rooms in Hampton County South Carolina The I house developed from traditional 17th century British folk house types such as the hall and parlor house and central passage house It became a popular house form in the Mid Atlantic and Southern United States at an early date 5 but can be found throughout most of the country in areas that were settled by the mid 19th century It is especially prevalent through the culturally mixed midland an area through central Pennsylvania and through Ohio Indiana and Illinois or approximate to the old National Road and now paralleled by Interstate 70 I houses generally feature gables to the side and are at least two rooms in length one room deep and two full stories in height 5 They also often have a rear wing or ell for a kitchen or additional space The facade of an I house tends to be symmetrical They were constructed in a variety of materials including logs wood frame brick or stone In his book on folk architecture in north central Missouri Marshall devotes nine pages to the I house after investigation of close to 100 old houses in the Little Dixie region of Missouri 6 He calls the I house the Farmer s Mansion It is the Southern style house sought by a middle class planter a symbol of his success DW Meinig introduces the I house and the dogtrot as symbols of Southern influence in his Shaping of America 7 In Little Dixie originally settled primarily by migrants from the Upper South settlers were so eager to build an I house that many lived in tents until they completed their new buildings Marshall classifies folk houses by type using rules developed by Henry Glassie in the late 20th century 8 The basic unit is a sixteen by sixteen foot hall called a pen A single pen house might be a typical log cabin Combinations define other types A two story single pen house is known as a stack house Pens can also be extended side by side to create a two pen house which with a central hall becomes a dogtrot A two story two pen house is the basic I house The house may by modified by additions but the pen system provides a classification These nineteenth century houses lacked indoor plumbing and central heating The classical I house has fireplaces in each room In Missouri I houses were built from about 1820 to 1890 The style was brought to the US by the Scots Irish Because of the popularity and simple form of the I house decorative elements of popular architectural styles were often used Through the 1840s front porches and any decoration were primarily designed in the restrained Federal manner The Greek Revival style was also used during the 1840s and 1850s The I house was also adapted to Gothic Revival and Italianate styles during the mid 19th century 9 Late 19th century I houses often featured Queen Anne and Eastlake Stick style details I house with sheds Plantation Plain edit In the South a variation of the I house with one story rear shed rooms and usually a full width front porch is often referred to as the Plantation Plain house type 10 11 It is more directly described as an I house with sheds 5 See also editList of house types List of house stylesReferences edit a b I House Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History amp Culture Oklahoma Historical Society Retrieved 2008 10 03 Fred Kniffen Folk Housing Key to Diffusion Annals of the Association of American Geographers 55 1965 Fred Kniffen Louisiana House Types Annals of the Association of American Geographers 26 1936 Designing Place Architecture as Community Art in Martinsville Indiana Morgan County Historic Preservation Society Archived from the original on 2009 02 10 Retrieved 2008 10 04 the link is broken but for examples in Indiana see https www in gov core results html profile default amp query i house amp collection global collection a b c Gamble Robert Historic Architecture in Alabama A Guide to Styles and Types 1810 1930 pages 29 32 Tuscaloosa Alabama The University of Alabama Press 1990 ISBN 0 8173 1134 3 Marshall Howard Wight 1981 Folk Architecture in Little Dixie A Regional Culture in Missouri Columbia MO University of Missouri Press pp 62 71 Meinig Donald William 1993 The Shaping of America A Geographical Perspective on 500 Years of History Vol 2 Continental America 1800 1867 New Haven CT Yale University Press pp 274 280 Glassie Henry 1967 Pattern in the Material Folk Culture of the Eastern United States Philadelphia PA University of Pennsylvania Press 2001 Home and Garden Tour West Central Neighborhood Association Retrieved 2008 10 04 Plantation Architecture in Alabama Encyclopedia of Alabama Alabama Humanities Foundation Retrieved 2008 10 03 Colonial Architecture Overview New Georgia Encyclopedia Georgia Humanities Council and the University of Georgia Press Retrieved 2008 10 03 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to I houses Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture I House Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title I house amp oldid 1190998740 Plantation Plain architecture, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
