The Dutch Colonial style was brought to the New World by Dutch
immigrants who settled along the Hudson River in New York State
before scattering across Delaware, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
Most of the original Dutch Colonial houses were built between
1625 and about 1720, when the Dutch were overwhelmed by English
colonists. But the style didn't enter the mainstream until the
housing boom of the 1920s, when it emerged as part of the
larger Colonial Revival movement.
The style remains popular today, partly because it's a
cost-effective way to add upstairs headroom without increasing
a home's overall height. And despite its advanced age, the
Dutch Colonial still has plenty of design kick, especially in
the solid and very satisfying trim that finishes off the
traditional Dutch gambrel roof.
The traditional approach to trimming a gambrel lends an
authentic feel even when the roof in question has a more
contemporary look. We recently selected the Dutch Colonial
style for an artist's loft over a new two-stall garage, partly
because the primary residence has a gambrel dormer, but also
because the multiple roof angles allowed the north-facing glass
necessary for a painter's studio (see Figure 1). While the
asymmetrical roof pitch is a bit more rakish than that of most
Dutch Colonials, the split-faced granite base and cedar-shingle
siding match more traditional homes in this older Minneapolis
Figure 1.The exterior detailing typical of
traditional Dutch Colonial architecture relies on chunky trim
dimensions, liberal use of bed molding, and a layered look
where materials overlap. While most often associated with
symmetrical roof forms, the same approach is also well suited
to more contemporary roofs.
Like most Dutch Colonial structures, the basic form is
essentially a simple box that gets its character from the
distinctive roof. The detailing at the edges of this "barn
roof" looks the way it does for a reason: As the leading
seafaring power of the time, the Dutch built their houses the
same way they built their ships, with plenty of water-shedding
overlap where materials meet.
This shows up in the tendency to tuck one material under
another. For example, cedar shingles are tucked under a trim
board rather than butting into it (Figure 2). The result is a
clean, solid detail that gives the shingles plenty of room to
expand and contract. Elsewhere, the split-faced granite is also
tucked under a trim band (Figure 3). Flares are another theme
of Dutch Colonial architecture. On this design the shingles at
the bottom of the wall flare out to deflect water from the
masonry wall below (Figure 4).
Figure 2.Cedar shingles are tucked under
5/4x10-inch trim set on top of a 1-by spacer, providing a
clean, substantial look. The soffit is 1x4 pine beadboard,
varnished instead of painted to give the eave a warmer, almost
nautical appearance. Once again, the beadboard is tucked into
the fascia for a solid connection.
Figure 3.The ground-level garage is built of
4-inch concrete block with a veneer of split-faced granite,
topped by a continuous 5/4x10-inch trim board. The same 1x4
trim board, run horizontally and bracketed by a bed mold, runs
underneath the eave, providing a potential gap for ventilation.
Note the narrow bed mold acting as a drip cap on the
Figure 4.The cedar-shingle siding flares slightly
at the bottom of the wall to help deflect water from the
foundation. This detail is fairly simple to build: A 1x4 sits
on top of the continuous 5/4x10-inch trim band, eased by a bed
mold. Shingles are nailed to blocking on the sheathing. The
bottom courses of shingles require frequent repainting, as they
take tremendous abuse from rain and sun.
Dimensions are solid and chunky throughout. When working in
the Dutch Colonial style, always use a slightly thicker, wider,
or heavier piece of trim than you ordinarily might, and you'll
most likely be on track.
Robert Gerloffis an architect in Minneapolis.