This Massachusets home blends an updated Dutch Colonial original house together with a modern addition, adding space and light.
by Glenn M. Travis, Principal, GMT Home Design
Gambrel roofs, graceful curved eaves, split top-and-bottom "Dutch doors", and more — how did these distinct homes arrive in New England?
When Europeans first set foot in America during the Colonial era (1607-1775), they brought their architectural traditions with them. So far our series on New England home architectures, we've predominantly covered English home designs such as Classic Colonials, Saltboxes, and Capes — but of course the English weren't the only colonists. The Dutch left their mark as well, in what we now call Dutch Colonial style homes.
These beautiful homes with their distinct Gambrel style roofs are most often noted in Dutch colonies in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware. But Eastern Mass residents will recognize tons of Dutch Colonials in towns like Watertown and Belmont, where GMT Home Design has done a ton of work with our partner Gallagher Remodeling, updating and modernizing older homes but retaining the distinct style.
So how did this style arrive and evolve, and what are its key architectural design features? And what are ideas for refreshing your Dutch Colonial? Lots of surprising and interesting things to explore.
Early Dutch Colonials: Simple Beginnings in "New Netherland"
"New Netherland" might not be a familiar name today, but that was the first Dutch colony in North America. The first settlers from Holland arrived in 1623, and at its height New Netherland sprawled from Albany NY down into Delaware and Pennsylvania. (In fact, today's New York City was known as "New Amsterdam" at this time.) The colony was handed over to the British in 1664 so it was a short heyday for New Netherland, but of course the architecture and influence has remained in these areas.
Like many early colonial home styles, early Dutch Colonials were no-frills affairs. They usually consisted of just one main room and stood at 1.5 stories high — like Capes, they often had a half-story up top (more about that in a bit). You'd find porches on both sides, and at the center of it all, the unique Dutch door. The climate may have been slightly more forgiving in the southernmost parts of New Netherland, compared with the stormy beaches and frigid inland winters of northern New England, but the houses still had to be built to handle Nor'easters as well as hot muggy summers. You will see all these demands reflected in the key features of the homes.
It wasn't until around 1775 that the distinct gambrel style roof made its debut in these houses, but let's start at the top anyway, because today this roof is probably the best-known feature of Dutch Colonials.
The Gambrel Roof: Form Meets Function
A gambrel roof has two slopes on each side - the upper segment is short with a shallower angle, and the lower segment is steeply sloped. This design was as practical as it was eye-catching. Those gambrel roofs kept the house snug and warm while quickly shedding snow or rain during those harsh winters. Flared eaves with a wide overhang contributed to this job.
Those Dutch colonial houses weren't just pretty faces; they were clever too. Check out those flared eaves. They didn't just look cool; they were like built-in gutters. Rainwater gracefully slid off them, avoiding any soggy surprises along the sides of the house.
For our fellow roof-line nerds: What's the difference between a gambrel roof and a mansard roof? The gambrel has two symmetrical sides, while the mansard has the same slopes on all four sides, which often results in an expanded flat (or nearly flat) surface in the middle of the roof. (Mansard roofs are French in origin and provide one of the iconic architectural looks in Paris.)
Today gambrels aren't limited to Dutch Colonials, of course. As we noted in our post on the Modern Farmhouse, a gambrel roof works really well with that style of home. It adds just a little bit of classic nostalgia that integrates beautifully with any clean, modern home design. And, it retains those advantages for dealing with New England seasons.
Of course today gambrels also take on some modern functions — solar panels, automated skylights and roof vents, you name it. That's one reason why many of our clients want to keep their Dutch Colonial looks even when they are adding space or modernizing the functionality of the home.
The classic Gambrel roof and stone chimney are Dutch Colonial hallmarks, while the extended porch roof takes on the style of the addition.
Other features of Dutch Colonial architectural design
Okay, enough about roofs. Other features of the Dutch Colonial style include:
Timber frames and exposed beams. While the outer walls might have been stone, the frame was always wood. That gave builders the freedom to get creative with the exterior. Exposed ceiling beams are common, as in many other New England architectural styles.
Dutch doors. The Dutch invented the split-door style that lets the homeowner open the whole door, or just the top half. This kind of door is less common today, of course, but in colonial times it worked beautifully, keeping animals (domestic or wild) out of the house while letting fresh air in, or letting the homeowner socialize with passers-by in a town setting.
Arched windows and end chimneys. Most of the windows on Dutch colonial homes were square, but some added a fancy touch with one or two arched windows on the gabled end of the roof.
In another departure from classic Colonial style homes, Dutch Colonials are more likely to have not one central chimney, but one or two end chimneys. The Dutch were known for their masonry, and New Netherland region homes were more likely to use stone foundations and walls than most of the timber-oriented New England home styles.
The upper half-story (with a surprising motive). As noted, Dutch Colonials shared the half-story upstairs with some other New England home styles. However, here's a plot twist.
In a Cape style home, for instance, the upper space was typically quite cramped or awkward; the straight roofline meant there wasn't a lot of normal headroom in much of the space. In a Dutch Colonial, the gambrel roof created a much more usable area upstairs. So why not just build two stories and call it a day? Taxes! Many places charged higher taxes on a two-story home. With Dutch Colonial style, you could achieve maximum living space at the lower one-story tax rate.
Ideas for remodeling or renovating your Dutch Colonial home
Hopefully a look at these classic features also gives you some ideas and inspiration for updating this type of home, when the time comes.
Color is always the simplest and most affordable change to any home. White siding with black or dark blue shutters/trim is a classic Dutch Colonial exterior. (But as you can see, people have gone in many other directions!) While some homeowners love the look of exposed brick (and we do to), some paint the exterior of their chimneys, for protection or color, or both.
Emphasizing exposed beams, putting a spotlight on masonry inside or outside, and choosing fixtures with classic styles are all ways to enhance the Dutch look of your home.
Modern Dutch Doors are also available, in all kinds of materials and colors; you just need to consider that some times and New England seasons are less suitable for a half-open door with no screen! At the right times, though, this can be a charming and convenient option. (And when it's not, you can just keep the full door shut.)
The simplicity of a gambrel roofline often works in homeowners' favor if you are considering adding space to the overall structure. As always, with good attention to the details, an addition can blend seamlessly into the existing building, achieving a harmonious look.
If you have a standard Gambrel roof over an upper half-story adding dormered windows or shed dormers can make that upstairs space more functional.
And in a reverse twist, some newer Dutch Colonials skipped the flared eaves — adding this element to parts of your roof is a way to accentuate the unique Dutch look. (Today's gutters and downspouts and drainpipes usually take over the original job that the eaves were created to do.) A welcoming new portico or small porch at the front door could bring these eaves to your exterior without disrupting the rest of the roof.
Dutch colonial houses: practical, stylish, historical and innovative. They're a slice of New England history with a unique Dutch twist. GMT Home Design has experience working with this architectural style, along with other local designs — contact us for a consultation about your custom home design or remodeling plans.
About the author: GMT Home Designs founder Glenn M. Travis has lived and worked in New England all his life, with 30+ years' experience in architectural design. Learn more about us.
More in our series on New England home styles:
Classic colonials | remodeling ideas
Saltbox colonials | updating your saltbox
Cape Cod style | remodeling capes