A Guide to Middle Tennessee’s Historic Homes

Middle Tennessee is unique in many ways. It is quite different from both East and West Tennessee, geographically, economically, and culturally. Its unique qualities can be seen in its buildings, particularly historic buildings built before the state’s and the country’s architecture was largely homogenized. What qualifies as historic architecture is up for debate, but in this guide, I will focus on homes built from the late 1700s, when settlers from the eastern states first came to the region, to the late 1930s, just prior to World War II. Some of the styles I will cover are very common; others are not, but I will list them all in roughly chronological order according to when they were most popular. With the exception of less popular styles, almost every example is, or was, common for Middle Tennessee.

Log Construction:

The first settlers in what is now Middle Tennessee came to the region in the 1780s. At the time, it was part of North Carolina. Tennessee did not become a state until 1796. Most of the homes built in the region during the late 1700s and early 1800s were built of hand hewn logs. Common characteristics include one or one-and-a-half story construction and one or two large stone (or occasionally brick) chimneys, typically located on the sides/gable ends. Examples were frequently covered with wood clapboard siding later, if not originally, and were often eventually updated with Greek Revival or Victorian ornamentation and expanded. For those reasons, log buildings are often difficult to identify, but large stone chimneys, low ceilings, small and/or few window openings, and windows set at different heights on the front and sides are some common characteristics that point to log construction.

^ This home in Castalian Springs is a typical Middle Tennessee log home, probably built in the 1790s to 1810s. The main portion is one and a half stories with two rooms (one on either side of a central hall) per floor, only a few small windows, and a large stone chimney at either side.

^ This home in Green Hill is an excellent example of how log homes in Middle Tennessee often evolved. It began as a one room log cabin built by John Cloyd in 1791, but was expanded to the front with a one and a half story addition (likely of log construction) similar to the above house in Castalian Springs. The original log portion has one stone chimney, and the newer log portion has brick chimneys. In the front of the house, the windows on the front are slightly higher than on the sides, probably due to the positions of wall logs.

Federal:

As with log construction, the Federal style was popular in Middle Tennessee from the late 1700s to early 1800s. Common characteristics of the style include large chimneys, windows with many panes, simple trim, and wood siding clad, brick, or stone walls. Symmetrical designs are common, though asymmetrical designs are not unusual. Early Federal homes built in the 1780s and 1790s are often referred to as “glorified pioneer” dwellings because they were built by and for early settlers in the region, and, though they were often large and refined by local standards at the time, they were still somewhat primitive, or rough around the edges.

^ Cragfont in Sumner County is an example of a glorified pioneer home. It was built from 1798 to 1802 for General James Winchester. It features little exterior ornamentation (only some dentil trimwork in the eaves), but it was considered the most elegant house in the state when it was built. It shows many of the common characteristics of the style including large chimneys, windows with many panes, and simple trim.

^ This Federal home in Mt. Juliet was built in 1800. It shows considerable influence from North Carolina and Virginia homes with its Virginia, or double-shouldered, chimneys (one of which has been partly removed) and hall-and-parlor floor plan (two rooms per floor in the front, side-by-side without a central hall, and two front doors, one for each front room.)

Greek Revival:

The Greek Revival style was most popular in Middle Tennessee from about 1820 to 1860. As with other Antebellum homes, large chimneys on the sides/gable ends are a common feature, but the most notable features of the style are perhaps symmetry and large porch columns. A portico, which is usually a narrow, full height porch covered by a roof with a forward-facing gable, is the most common form of front porch for the style in this region, but one and two-story front porches spanning the width of the house can also be found. In either case, large columns are common and one of the defining features of the style. They are usually square, but occasionally circular, particularly on larger examples. The style mimicked that of ancient Greek temples, so large columns were a nearly essential feature. Another common feature is a grand entry, typically with a large front door or double front doors with sidelights and a transom window.

^ This home, Whitehall, in Franklin was built around 1828 for Robert White. It has all of the most common characteristics of the Greek Revival style in Middle Tennessee. The main (front) section of the house consists of two rooms per floor, one on either side of a central hall, one chimney on each of the two sides, and a full height portico with large columns.

^ This home, the Stagecoach Inn, in Silver Springs was built in 1830. It is a slightly less common form of the style, but it still has many typical characteristics of the style including the design of two rooms and a central hall per floor in the front with two chimneys, one on each side. The full width front porch is a feature more common in the Deep South, and sets it apart from most other Middle Tennessee Greek Revival homes.

Italianate:

The Italianate Style was most popular in Middle Tennessee from about 1850 to 1880. This style can be seen in houses of many forms and sizes, and may include extensive decorative trimwork or very little. Common characteristics of the style include tall, arched windows, double front doors, low-pitched roofs with brackets in the eaves, and small, even delicate, porch columns (when compared to those of the Greek Revival style.). In the mid-1800s it was often mixed with Greek Revival elements, and later examples were closely tied to the Gothic Revival style. In Middle Tennessee, most examples lack especially complicated designs and details.

^ This Italianate home in Murfreesboro was built in 1869 or 1870 for Joseph B. Palmer, a lawyer, legislator, and retired Confederate general. It displays most of the common chararcteristics of its style, such as double front doors, a low-pitched roof, decorative brackets in the eaves, and tall, arched windows with both flattened and round arches. Homes like this one were very popular in Middle Tennessee around 1870 with similar examples in towns such as Franklin and Lebanon.

^ This home in Murfreesboro is fairly typical example of a smaller, vernacular interpretation of the Italianate style in Middle Tennessee. It was probably built in the 1860s or early 1870s. The main structure is very simple with little to identify it as being Italianate, but the front porch displays common characteristics of the style including delicate columns with arched decorative brackets and brackets in the eaves.

Gothic Revival:

The Gothic Revival style was most popular in Middle Tennessee from just before the Civil War to about 1880, with some simple, vernacular examples being built until around 1900. As with Italianate, this style can be found in many forms and sizes. Some examples are very simple while others are very ornate, but the common characteristics include steep-pitched roofs with many gables, decorative brackets or other trim in the eaves, small or even delicate porch columns, and tall, arched windows. There is often a very fine line between Italianate and Gothic Revival, but typically a steep-pitched roof means the building is Gothic Revival, while a low-pitched roof indicates that it is Italianate. Although there are many examples that display all or most of the features of the style, there are also many vernacular examples that have only the basic defining features such as a steep-pitched roof with many gables.

^ This home in Hartsville is an example of a common form of the Gothic Revival style in Middle Tennessee. It is a T-plan with two rooms on one side of a central hall and one on the other, on both floors. It features numerous gables and gabled dormers, arched windows, and a steeply pitched roof. It was probably built in the 1870s, at the peak of the style’s popularity.

^ This home in Fayetteville was built by Dr. R. R. McKinney in 1859 for his daughter and son-in-law. It is unusual for Middle Tennessee in that it is a brick Gothic Revival home, as most are wood frame, Carpenter Gothic, homes. The Gothic (pointed) arches are less common than round or flattened arches, but the three front gables and nearly perfect symmetry are very common characteristics for the style in this region.

Second Empire:

The Second Empire style, which was inspired by French architecture during the Second Empire, was never very common in Middle Tennessee. However, it was most popular from about 1870 to 1885. The style is very closely related to Italianate and Gothic Revival in its characteristics. Often the only feature to distinguish the styles from one another is the roof. In Second Empire homes, the roof is the defining feature. It is always a Mansard roof, which has steep, nearly vertical sides that typically have dormer windows and a very low-pitched, or even flat, secondary roofline at the top. Double front doors, arched windows, decorative eaves brackets, and small or delicate porch columns are all common characteristics as well. Most of the few examples in this region of the state are large and, therefore, typically quite ornate with intricate trimwork.

^ This home in Murfreesboro was built in 1879 for former mayor Ingram Blanks Collier III. The 18 room, 8,000 square foot home with its four towers, heavy but intricately detailed trim, and convexly arched Mansard roof is likely the finest example of the style in Middle Tennessee.

Queen Anne:

The Queen Anne style was most popular in Middle Tennessee from about 1880 to 1910. It was extremely popular during that thirty-year period and can be seen in homes of many forms and sizes. Common characteristics of the style include asymmetry, turrets or towers, and various window designs including arched, square or rectangular, oval or circular, and keyhole shaped. Wraparound porches are also common, typically with delicate columns and intricate fretwork or spindlework, although later examples often had Colonial Revival columns. Wood frame examples often have a colorful paint scheme with colors chosen to make the details more visible. Later examples usually include features from other styles including Colonial Revival, Neoclassical, and even Craftsman.

^ This home, known as Valentine Square, in Winchester was built in 1899 for Smith Morgan Alexander. It has many of the common characteristics of the style including an asymmetrical design, a wraparound porch with elaborate woodwork, and wall shingles in the front gable. Though double decker porches like this are uncommon in Middle Tennessee, the basic form of the main structure and amount of ornamentation are typical for the region.

^ This home in Nashville’s Historic Edgefield neighborhood is an excellent example of a late Queen Anne home that combines elements from other styles. It was probably built between 1900 and 1905. The asymmetrical design with a corner tower is typical of the style, but it draws from the Colonial Revival style with its porch columns and low-pitched, flared roof, and the Craftsman style with its mullioned windows and large, simple, but decorative, eaves brackets.

Folk Victorian:

The Folk Victorian style was most popular in Middle Tennessee from about 1880 to 1915. The style is most often seen in small or rural homes. The basic structure of most examples is quite simple and often symmetrical, but with a Queen Anne style porch and, in some cases, ornamentation in the eaves. Unlike the Queen Anne style, the windows are usually simple and rectangular. There is a fine line between Queen Anne and Folk Victorian, but Folk Victorian homes are much simpler. They also frequently include elements from other styles including Gothic Revival, Colonial Revival, and occasionally Craftsman.

^ This home in Murfreesboro was built in 1858, but was likely remodeled around 1880. It is a typical Folk Victorian design for Middle Tennessee. The main portion is a fairly small one-story structure with simple, rectangular windows and no decorative trim. The wraparound porch with delicate columns and spindlework is the feature clearly identifying its style as Folk Victorian.

^ This home in Hartsville was likely built between 1885 and 1900. As is common for the style, the main structure is quite simple, with just a small amount of decoration in the front gable. Even the porch is simple, with no extra decoration. The porthole windows are its one unusual feature.

Richardsonian Romanesque:

The Richardsonian Romanesque style was never common in Middle Tennessee, as most examples were built in the large cities of Northeastern and Midwestern states. However, it was most popular from about 1890 to 1900. Nashville contains most of Middle Tennessee’s examples, with just a small number scattered in the surrounding towns. Brick or stone masonry, or some combination of the two, along with arches, towers, and asymmetry are common characteristics of the style. The stone masonry is usually rough-faced and the trim is typically very heavy and done with stone, brick, or terra cotta. Richardsonian Romanesque homes often closely resemble Queen Anne homes, but with massive, rather than delicate, trim, columns, and other decorative features.

^ This home in Nashville’s Historic Edgefield neighborhood was most likely built in the 1890s. It displays all the common characteristics of the style including asymmetry, arches, a tower, and brick masonry with stone and terra cotta decorations. The bell-shaped tower roof is another common feature of the style. Although the home’s features are typical for the style, it is unusual in that it is relatively small and just one story. Most homes of the style are two or three stories and very large.

^ This home in Murfreesboro was built in 1898 for former mayor J. T. Rathers. Although it lacks rough-faced stonework, it displays the brick masonry with heavy trim, asymmetry, and arches that are common to the style. This is one of the few examples of the style in Middle Tennessee outside of Nashville.

Colonial Revival:

The Colonial Revival style was most common in Middle Tennessee from about 1890 to 1960. This style enjoyed a long period of widespread popularity, evolving with changes in construction techniques and trends. From 1890 to about 1920, common characteristics of the style included low-pitched roofs, perfect of nearly perfect symmetry, large, rectangular windows, and wide, one-story front porches with classical columns. The style can be seen in homes of many forms and sizes, though the basic structures are usually simple with a rectangular or square footprint. Typical wall materials are wood siding, brick, and stone. The style is often mixed with the Folk Victorian and Queen Anne styles. It is especially common in small towns and rural areas, although some examples exist in larger cities such as Nashville. Colonial Revival floor plans typically have a central hall, though foursquare plans are also common.

^ This home in Watertown is an excellent example of a small town/rural Colonial Revival home. It was probably built in the 1890s, and displays some of the typical characteristics of the style including simple, rectangular windows, and a wide, one-story porch with classical columns. It also shows some Folk Victorian or Queen Anne influences with its front gables and wall shingles in the gables.

^ This home in Murfreesboro is a good example of a typical Colonial Revival home from about 1900 to 1910. It has the common wide front porch with classical columns, rectangular windows, and a low-pitched roof. The elongated eaves suggest some Prairie Style influence.

Neoclassical:

The Neoclassical style was very popular in Middle Tennessee from about 1890 to 1950. It is similar in many ways to the Colonial Revival style, and there is often a very fine line between the two. Both tend to be symmetrical with a large front porch, classical columns, and relatively simple rectangular windows. However, Neoclassical homes tend to be grander, with two-story front porches and larger columns. Wraparound and full width porches are also less common in Neoclassical homes than Colonial Revival. Examples tend to be at least somewhat large, and are often brick, though some are wood siding clad. The style is especially common in small to medium size towns. Almost all are based on a central hall floorplan.

^ This home in Wartrace was probably built between 1895 and 1900. It is a somewhat uncommon form of the Neoclassical style because it is very asymmetrical and has a wraparound porch. Also slightly unusual are the Queen Anne Victorian features such as the tower, wall shingles, ornate eaves brackets, and hipped roof with gables. However, the massive, two-story classical porch columns clearly mark it as a Neoclassical home.

^ This home in Murfreesboro was built in 1913 for the Darrows family. It is an excellent example of an early 1900s Neoclassical home with its grand two-story front porch, massive, fluted classical columns, trim band with decorative brackets below the eaves, large, rectangular windows, nearly perfect symmetry, and grand entry with an arched transom window above the double front doors.

Prairie Style:

The Prairie Style was somewhat popular in Middle Tennessee from about 1905 to 1920. It was most popular, and can be found in its purest form, in the Midwest. Examples in the Southeast (Middle Tennessee included) are typically mixed with other styles, and simply show some Prairie Style inspiration. Common characteristics include extremely elongated eaves, wide front doors and windows, numerous panes on upper window sashes, stained glass, brick or stucco walls, terra cotta trim, a low-pitched roof, and general emphasis on horizontal lines. The one feature most often seen in Middle Tennessee’s Prairie homes is elongated eaves. Examples may be very asymmetrical or almost perfectly symmetrical. They are typically larger homes with a grand façade. The style is most common in cities and medium to large towns.

^ This home in Fayetteville was built in 1909 for Myra and W. G. Cowan. It displays some of the most common characteristics of the Prairie Style including a low-pitched roof with elongated eaves, wide windows, a wide front door, and emphasis on horizontal lines. It also displays some Colonial Revival characteristics such as the porch columns and nearly perfect symmetry.

^ This home in Murfreesboro was probably built around 1910 to 1915. It has many common characteristics of the style including a low-pitched roof with elongated eaves, wide front doors, and numerous panes on the upper window sashes. Interestingly, the main roofline is slightly flared.

Craftsman:

This style was extremely popular in Middle Tennessee from about 1905 to 1935. It is most often seen in small to medium size homes, but some of its features can be seen in large homes as well. Common characteristics of the style include a low-pitched gabled (rarely hipped) roof with elongated eaves, wide windows and/or windows in groups, multiple panes on upper window sashes with single pane lower sashes, wide front doors with windows, exposed rafters in the eaves, decorative beams or brackets under the eaves, and partial or full-width front porches with large square (often tapered) columns. Most examples have side gables with a dormer in front, a single gable in front and back, or a gable in front with a secondary gable over the porch. Examples of the style can be found everywhere from rural areas to cities, and places in between.

^ This home in Murfreesboro was probably built in the 1910s. It displays most of the common characteristics of the Craftsman style including a low-pitched gabled roof with elongated eaves, decorative beams under the eaves, wide windows and windows in groups, multiple panes on upper window sashes with single pane lower sashes, and large, tapered porch columns. Slightly unusual for Middle Tennessee, though not the style, is the cross-gabled roof.

^ This home in Lebanon was probably built in the 1910s. It features almost all of the common characteristics of the Craftsman style including a low-pitched gabled roof with elongated eaves, decorative beams and brackets under the eaves, wide windows, multiple panes on upper window sashes with single pane lower sashes, and large porch and carport columns. Another common feature is the front-gabled roof with a secondary gable over the front porch.

Tudor Revival:

This style was somewhat popular in Middle Tennessee from about 1900 to 1920, then extremely popular until about 1940. It can be seen in homes of all sizes from very small to very large. Common characteristics of the style include steep-pitched gabled roofs with numerous gables, various window sizes and shapes, narrow windows in groups, arched front doors, prominent chimneys, and brick, stone, stucco, and/or or false half-timber (timber framing filled with stucco, brick, or occasionally stone) walls. In most examples, the main roofline has gables on the sides with cross gables in the front over the front door, porch, and/or extending rooms. Examples can be found in small towns to cities, but are rarely found in rural areas or very small towns.

^ Gladstone, in Murfreesboro is an apartment building built in the early 1900s. It displays nearly every characteristic common to the Tudor Revival style including a steep-pitched roof with numerous gables, windows in groups, and all the common wall materials (brick, stone, and half-timbering with stucco.) Prominent chimneys, however, are missing in this example.

Spanish Eclectic:

This style was somewhat popular in Middle Tennessee from about 1920 to 1940. It is most often seen in smaller homes. Common characteristics of the style include arched and rectangular windows, arched doors, stucco walls, and a low-pitched, gabled (typically red) tile roof. In most examples, the main roofline has side gables, often with a single cross gable in the front. Like the Tudor Revival style, examples can be found in small towns to cities. However, it is virtually never seen in rural areas or very small towns.

^ This home in Murfreesboro was probably built between 1925 and 1935. It displays all the common characteristics of the Spanish Eclectic style such as arched windows, an arched front door, stucco walls, and a low-pitched, gabled red tile roof. This example could also possibly fall into the Storybook category as it also features a very prominent chimney in front.

Storybook:

This style was extremely popular in Middle Tennessee from about 1920 to 1940. It is most often seen in small to medium size homes, and is very closely related to the Tudor Revival style. It also can show many similarities to the Craftsman and Spanish Eclectic styles. Common characteristics of the style include a steep-pitched gabled roof (often with many gables), various window sizes and shapes, windows in groups, arched front doors, and prominent chimneys. The walls are typically brick, brick with stone trim, or stucco or stone with brick trim. False half-timbering is also a somewhat common feature, though it is usually very limited unlike in Tudor Revival homes. Examples can be found in small towns to cities, and occasionally in rural areas.

^ This home in Lebanon was probably built between about 1925 and 1935. It has many of the common characteristics of the Storybook style including a steep-pitched side gabled roof, an arched front door, a very prominent chimney, and stone walls with brick trim. Also common for the style in Middle Tennessee are the windows with multiple panes on the upper sashes and single pane lower sashes.

^ This home in Murfreesboro was probably built in the 1930s. It shows many of the common characteristics of the Storybook style including a steep-pitched roof, stucco, walls with brick trim, and a prominent chimney. This particular example could also fall into the Tudor Revival category, though it is a looser interpretation of that style.