What Is a Dutch Colonial House?
A Dutch colonial house is a type of home architecture common in America. Originally built by Dutch colonists in the 16th and 17th centuries, these picturesque homes retain a flavor of the style and method used in house building in the colonists’ homelands. The Dutch colonial house regained popularity in the early 20th century, leading to a similar though modernized style known as Dutch colonial revivalism. The most characteristic feature of a Dutch colonial house is the distinct sloping roof. Properly called a gambrel, this roof style is a symmetrical design with a steep lower angle and a shallow upper angle near the joining point or top of the roof. Gambrel roofs are often seen on barns, leading many to refer to a Dutch colonial house as a “barn style” house.
