From the Creole townhouses of New Orleans to New York's iconic brownstones, these stunning houses have become synonymous with their states. These homes have drawn inspiration from a broad range of architectural influences, including Native American dwellings, British Colonial builds and more Modernist structures to create an architectural melting pot as diverse as the country itself.
Click or scroll for a whistlestop tour of the architectural icons of America...
Alabama adopted the I-house – a term coined because this style is commonly found in Iowa, Illinois and Indiana – in the 17th century when British immigrants dominated the region.
Typical of plantation-style homes, the I-house tends to have a long, one-storey front porch and a front-facing balcony. Many of the homes also feature double-height windows and columned entrances in the Greek Revival style.
No, Alaskans don’t live in igloos! In fact, you’re more likely to find them living in traditional wood-frame homes. The natural material keeps these homes low-maintenance, able to weather anything the unpredictable Alaskan climate might dish out, and also helps them blend into the surrounding landscape. If built on the water, the homes are often raised on stilts to help avoid flooding, like this one.
Surrounded by miles of desert landscape, the homes of Arizona have taken inspiration from traditional Pueblo architecture, originally used by the Pueblo people of the southwestern states. Pueblo buildings are typically constructed from adobe or stone, with flat roofs and beamed ceilings.
In Arizona’s more modern take on these traditional dwellings, clean lines and a stucco façade in neutral earth tones are a popular feature. At the same time, small windows are a practical choice to shade the interior from the sun's heat.
The state of Arkansas adopted the traditional American brick houses from its earliest days of settlement and has continued to build in this style for generations. Symmetry is an underlying theme in this particular state, with Greek Revival elements, including columns, capitals and pediments proving to be particularly popular features.
Peaked rooflines and symmetrical chimneys are also common features on these traditional builds – practical design elements to guard against chilly winters and heavy snow.
Californian houses are most often inspired by Mediterranean architecture with stylistic features that include white plaster façades, clay tile roofs and rows of arcades. Homes tend to be bright and spacious with backyard pools for cooling down in the heat of the Californian sun.
Mediterranean Revival architecture is designed to epitomise the luxury and warmth of a European villa, and while the style was originally reserved for public spaces like hotels and resorts, the 1920s saw such a rise in demand for luxurious living that it soon came into use for homes as well.
Colorado is famous for its snow-covered Rocky Mountains and ski resorts, so it’s no wonder the traditional log cabin is native to this particular state. While these distinctive structures have their architectural roots in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, they are often associated with early American settlers, particularly those in the eastern US, where timber was plentiful.
Constructed out of wood, the more modern versions of these rustic mountain homes tend to be raised on hillsides with upper-level balconies for spectacular views of the snowy mountain landscape.
Connecticut is famous for its Colonial-style architecture. While the style places a strong emphasis on symmetry, these homes often include wings, or ells, which were added later to accommodate expanding families.
Clapboard-clad, front-entrance Colonials like this one here are often painted in whites, reds, yellows and greys, with starkly contrasting black shutters. Inside, Colonial period architectural features include sweeping staircases, marble fireplaces and French doors.
Delaware embraced the Queen Anne style revival that produced these elaborate and decorative houses across America. While ‘Queen Anne’ is a relatively loose architectural term encompassing a range of styles popular between approximately 1880 and 1910.
Updated for modern living, this 19th-century property is unique in design due to the addition of Greek Revival columns that support its front porch.
The Sunshine State is home to the Florida cracker house, an odd-sounding name derived from 'Florida cracker,' a term used to describe colonial-era British pioneers who settled in the state. With origins dating back to the mid-19th century, cracker homes are still popularly built today.
These wood-frame houses are characterised by their thin metal roofs, straight central hallways and raised verandas, which were traditionally used to shade occupants from the heat of the Florida sun, as well as to keep the home's interiors cool.
Georgia is home to a range of architectural styles, from Victorian townhouses to modern villas, but it’s the Gothic Revival houses of the deep south that it’s most famously known for.
This particularly spectacular Victorian home looks like it belongs in a scene from Gone With the Wind and features all the quintessential architectural details associated with the style, from the generous wrap-around porch and the towering turret to the intricate gingerbread woodworking.
Taking influence from the native thatched house tradition, modern Hawaiian homes tend to be elevated, open and spacious. Wraparound verandas and large windows form a connection between interior and exterior spaces, heightening an indoor/outdoor living aesthetic, while allowing natural ventilation to circulate the property.
While this house may not have the thatched roof traditional of chickees, it certainly pays homage to the architectural style, which is perfectly suited to the steamy climate.
Idaho belongs to the cluster of mountain states where homes are surrounded by breathtaking views of stunning peaks, forests, rivers and lakes. Wood-structured houses, whether traditional or modern, often feature large windows and spacious balconies to make the most of the great outdoors.
With a wealth of local timber available, it's no surprise that this architectural style has dominated the state's construction market for many years.
Illinois is most famously known for Frank Lloyd Wright’s modern Prairie School houses. The most iconic of these is the Frederick C. Robie House in Chicago, which was built by the notable architect back in 1910. Prairie houses, widely considered to be the first uniquely American architectural style, are characterised by their open-plan interiors, emphasis on horizontal lines and use of locally sourced materials.
With its iconic cantilevered roofline, Roman brick façade and bands of continuous art-glass windows, the house’s distinctive exterior has been much emulated.
Indiana is famous for its Modernist architecture, with prominent architects such as Eero Saarinen, Richard Meier and I.M. Pei having constructed a number of iconic buildings in cities like Columbus. Drawing heavy inspiration from the preceding Art Deco movement, Modernist architecture drew heavily on new technology and innovative construction techniques, which continued to develop throughout the 20th century.
In a dramatic break from the more classical styles of Georgian and Victorian architecture, Modernist homes such as this one featured flat rooflines, geometric shapes and asymmetrical layouts.
Originally built for low-income families, Iowa’s iconic Moffitt houses tend to be small, cosy and irregular in form. Built from 1916 to the mid-1930s, they’re considered to be some of America’s first ‘eco-homes’, as the materials used in their construction often consisted of salvaged parts collected from demolition sites.
Though he had no formal training, architect Howard F. Moffitt built somewhere between 100 and 200 of these quirky homes in Iowa City and Coralville, supposedly inspired by a combination of photos he had seen in magazines, consultations with friends and his own imagination.
Kansas is home to ranch-style houses, which typically consist of a single-storey, rectangular-shaped structure that fuse Modernist design elements with traditional Western values.
Another distinctively American architectural style, ranches first came on the scene in the 1920s, but skyrocketed in popularity among the suburban and rural middle class during the post-war period, particularly in conjunction with the population boom in the southwestern states.
In the mid-to-late 19th century, Kentucky was dominated by classical Colonial architecture, particularly red brick homes like this one. Following the traditional I-plan format, these homes are typically symmetrical and frequently feature influence from Georgian and Greek Revival styles.
This newly built home demonstrates just how popular the architectural style remains in the state, as well as how the design has been adapted for modern living with the addition of elements like wings for extra space.
Louisiana is famous for its French Creole architecture, with the finest examples dotted around the French Quarter of New Orleans. Inspired by Greek temple architecture, this light and elegant property isn’t as bulky as most British-inspired Colonial homes and is a grander-scale example of the architectural style.
The dominant house type along the central Gulf Coast until well into the mid-19th century, French Creole homes were inspired by architectural attributes left over from the French Colonial Empire. These features included full front porches, gabled roofs and interior chimneys.
New England has a rich architectural heritage that goes back to the mid-17th century. After more than 400 years of settlement, anything from early Colonial to Victorian and modern building traditions can be found in the state of Maine. However, like much of New England, Maine is dominated by beautiful Georgian heritage properties, like this one here.
With clapboard shingling, symmetrically positioned windows and doors, and parallel chimneys, this home exemplifies the preference for classical inspiration that unified most 18th-century builds.
Massachusetts is home to New England’s iconic Cape Cod-style houses. These quaint wood-framed properties were first introduced to North America during the Colonial era and are identified by their symmetrical exterior, steep roofs and shingle siding.
In deference to salty winds and winter gales, which wreak havoc with paint, most Cape Cods leave their shingling unpainted to minimise maintenance costs. However, pops of colour can usually be found on shutters and doors, like on this charming, quintessential example in Provincetown.
In contrast to French Creole Louisiana, the traditional architecture of Maryland took its influence from British Georgian architecture. Primarily built in red brick, these two-storey homes place a strong emphasis on symmetry and modest design, with simple yet elegant touches.
This impressive three-storey property features symmetrical windows, a central front entrance and a wing of sun porches for each storey – not to mention the iconic American 'white picket fence'.
The 20th century saw the rise of Michigan’s dominance over the motor industry, which led to a building boom that reached its peak during the 1930s. Cities like Detroit gained a reputation for its civic building and skyscraper designs, but it’s the Art Deco and Arts and Crafts movement that the state is most famously known for.
Part of the Cranbrook Institute of Art in Birmingham Detroit, this Tudor Revival house features a number of quaint Medieval-inspired elements which featured prominently in many Arts and Crafts builds.
Minnesota has gained a reputation for being a house-proud state. With a rich architectural heritage that spans from Colonial to Victorian, Arts and Crafts and modern, its most popular building tradition is that of the ranch-style home.
These traditional American houses are usually set low on one or two storeys and designed to be wide and spacious. Distinctive for their low-pitched rooflines and large front-facing windows, ranches usually feature an open-plan layout and a spacious front porch.
The state of Mississippi is dotted with interesting examples of historic houses, from rickety shacks to stately plantation homes. The term for the classical style that became popular in the US following the American Revolution, federal-style architecture had much in common with Georgian architecture, characterised by the use of plain red brick surfaces accented by features such as Greek columns, fan windows and isolated panels.
Missouri is home to the American Craftsman bungalow, America’s native interpretation of the Arts and Crafts movement, which took the country by storm from the 1930s onwards. Craftsman builds epitomised America’s architectural shift away from the more elaborate and decorative Victorian styles and towards simpler and more geometric designs, such as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie style.
This quaint Missouri cottage features many of the elements which were emblematic of the style, including a wrap-around porch with columned supports, gabled windows and shingling.
Montana is famous for its Aspen ski resorts, so it’s no wonder wooden cabins, rustic houses and rambler-style homes dominate the landscape. This property is making the most of the wealth of local materials, with pinewood panelling, a river rock front porch and columned supports for the upper balcony, which likewise offers the perfect vantage point for the breathtaking surrounding landscape.
Nebraskan architecture has gone through several evolutions since the 19th century, however, it’s Victorian and Edwardian-style family homes that the state is best known for.
This spectacular Victorian house dates to 1886, and was famously the home of the iconic American soldier and showman Buffalo Bill. With its towering cupola, intricate gingerbread woodwork and sprawling, asymmetrical footprint, this property epitomises the characterful heritage homesites customary in the state.
Nevada is home to the traditional split-level house and often features a strong European influence, particularly Italian architecture. By the onset of the Civil War, Italian-style architecture had outstripped Greek Revival in popularity due to its suitability for a wide range of building materials and budgets, and Italian-style buildings began to spring up across the country.
Adapted to take the heat of the Nevada sun, windows tend to be smaller to retain a cool interior. Houses are often painted in neutral tones and feature small balconies.
New Hampshire shares a rich New England building tradition with Massachusetts, which is why you’ll most often find houses here built in the Cape Cod style. This modern take on the classic Cape Cod features a brick façade, dormer windows, a shingled wing and a columned entryway. While stylistically it may appear quite different from its northern cousins, the architectural bones remain the same.
Dutch settlement in New Jersey began as early as the mid-17th century, with many settlers choosing to build their homes in the Colonial Dutch style. Long and narrow, the historic Van Riper House in Oakland, New Jersey, is a classic example of Colonial Dutch architecture, complete with dormer windows, a low-slung roofline and a columned front porch. Built in the 1700s, the home is one of the earliest examples of this architectural style in the state.
Architecture in New Mexico takes inspiration from the Spanish missionaries who settled in the region from as early as the 17th century. Today, the most popular building style is Pueblo Revival, which made its debut during the 1920s and 30s.
These adobe constructions consist of smooth stuccoed exteriors painted in neutral earth colours. Roofs are often flat and contain projecting wooden beams. This more modern interpretation of the classic Pueblo offers a striking contrast between white stucco walls and a feature stone porch, but retains the classic shape and roofline of the original structures.
New York is famous for its brownstone townhouses, which you’ll find spread across Brooklyn, Haarlem, Upper East and Upper West Manhattan. These houses are identified by their distinctive orange colour, which is due to a high concentration of iron found in the stone that was used to build them.
Originally built for the 19th-century population boom, brownstones are often fashioned in the Classical Revival and Victorian styles. Brownstones are also unusual in that they have historically served as both low- and high-income housing, functioning as tenement buildings in slums during the late 19th century and as townhouses for Manhattan's elite throughout the 20th century.
North Carolina is home to some of the most impressive examples of British-inspired Georgian and Federal-style homes. Popularly built from the 18th century onwards, the main feature of these Colonial period houses is a strong focus on symmetry and proportion.
Built in the early 1780s, the John Wright Stanly House in New Bern, North Carolina, is a classic example of the style, complete with a porticoed entrance, front garden and widow’s walk.
Take a trip to North Dakota and you’ll discover some of the finest examples of Victorian houses in the Queen Anne style. Post-Civil War advancements in machine cut technology meant that architects could build faster and with more elaborate detail than ever before.
While ornate, gingerbread-style detailing may be more common on older homes, even new builds like this one pay tribute to the state’s penchant for woodworking, with accented columns and ornamental crosspieces on the roof peaks.
Unlike most Midwestern states, Ohio takes its building tradition from the Northeast, where Cape Cod, rambler and Colonial building traditions flourished. Built in 1834, this beautiful Colonial home was constructed for Henry Stanbery, law partner of Thomas Ewing, and the first Attorney General of the State of Ohio.
The house boasts many exquisite period features including a porticoed entryway, elegant window shutters and a screened-in porch – perfect for soaking up the afternoon sun.
The southern state of Oklahoma is known for its somewhat conservative and traditional style homes. Expect to find multi-storey houses with chimneys, large front lawns and white picket fences, basically everything you’d expect from an all-American home.
Suburban neighbourhoods with densely packed, new-build family homes like this one are particularly common, serving as commutervilles for the state's urban centres.
Oregon has had a sampling of almost every building tradition to date, from Victorian to Cape Cod, Craftsman and ranch-style houses, however, it’s the Tudor Revival that stands out in this state.
With its distinctive wood cladding, steeply pitched roofs and prominent chimney, James Hickey House in Portland epitomises the historic Tudor style mimicked in the early 20th century.
Pennsylvania is known for its impressive Victorian architecture. In stark contrast to their more elaborate traditional Victorian architectural cousins, Victorian folk homes are far simpler in their design, though still embellished with the signature decorative trim.
The style typically features a regular, I-shape floorplan, a front porch with spindlework detailing and Italianate or Queen Anne-style decorative inspiration. Many homes, like the one pictured here, also feature two-toned exterior panelling as an extra form of embellishment.
Though settlement in Rhode Island began as early as the 17th century, the late 18th-century Colonial style dominates the region. This Federal-style property was built in 1708 and purchased 50 years later by wealthy merchant, Metcalf Bowler. During the Revolutionary War, William Vernon House also served as headquarters for the Comte de Rochambeau, who was commander of the French forces in America stationed in Newport.
With its dormer windows, fluted pilasters and wood coursing carved to resemble ashlar stone, the home is the perfect example of New England Colonial architecture during the period.
South Carolina, especially the historic district of Charleston, has a rich architectural heritage that shouldn’t be missed. Though there are plenty of fine examples of Regency, Federal and Revivalist homes, the most popular building tradition is the Charleston half house (or single house).
Built during the 18th and 19th centuries, these detached, two- or three-storey homes feature a ‘false front door’ that leads onto a private piazza perpendicular to the street where the real entrance is located.
South Dakota is most popularly known for its Italianate, Queen Anne and Folk Victorian architectural styles. Built in 1890, this fine example of a Queen Anne house was designed by renowned architect Wallace Dow. The two-storey home features a wraparound deck and spire, which have been meticulously preserved to this day.
Tennessee is all about southern comforts, which is why traditional American building styles, such as bungalows, cabins and Craftsman houses have remained popular even in major cities like Nashville.
Expect to find rows of picturesque houses, such as this Craftsman bungalow, which is surrounded by a well-maintained garden. With its stone façade, symmetrically positioned windows and canopied entryway, this charming home draws on many different architectural influences.
Expect to encounter a range of building traditions in Texas, ranging from barn houses to ranches, Colonial estates, Victorian mansions and modern homes by prominent architects like Frank Lloyd Wright and I.M Pei. However, Hill Country style is thought to be unique to the state, taking influence from Germanic architecture brought to the region by German populations who settled here during the 1800s.
This sprawling estate in Fairview is a modern interpretation of Hill Country style, with steeply pitched roofs, a grand porte-cochere entrance and patterned stonework.
Utah is best known for its Period Revival building tradition. This Colonial Revival house built in 1862 reflects the local and nationalistic pride that followed the Civil War. Though there was a sudden urge to look back to classical American building traditions, Colonial Revival architecture remained popular into the 1940s as European styles were brought to the States by immigrants fleeing Europe.
Virginia is popularly known for its British Colonial-style architecture, which encompasses sophisticated estates surrounded by acres of profitable land and smaller townhouses in prominent port towns.
Built in the 18th century, this red brick townhouse in Alexandria is a prime example of Virginia’s historic building tradition and is representative of the style in which many of Alexandria's older homes have been constructed, cheek by jowl.
Popularly known for its ski resorts, Vermont is traditionally associated with ski lodges, cabins and rustic homes. Most houses capitalise on the wealth of local timber available, like this Lincoln log-style cabin perched on a river bank.
With its steeply-pitched roof and dormer windows, this home is a classic example of hardy Vermont architecture, which is designed to withstand heavy snow and brutal winds winter after winter.
Washington is home to the American Craftsman house. With one-dimensional exterior wood panelling, large picture windows and a small front porch, this home is an excellent example of Arts and Crafts-inspired homes. These quaint properties were all the rage in the 20th century and emphasised craftsmanship using local materials and traditional construction methods over mass production.
Wisconsin is a state of brightly coloured Victorian homes. Typical stylistic features of Victorian-era properties in this region include an asymmetrical plan and plenty of ornamental detail.
Now an elegant inn, this former Victorian home situated in Bayfield, Wisconsin features all the staples of Ashland Victorian architecture, from its ample wrap-around porch to its brightly coloured exterior and steeply pitched roofline.
If it’s a red brick Colonial estate that you’re after, West Virginia has some of the finest examples in the country. This historic home features a columned entryway, dormer windows and a perfectly symmetrical façade.
Ranches have been popular in Wyoming since the 1930s. Modelled on the traditional Western ranch-style home, this simplistic, Lincoln log-style cabin offers a cosy river rock front porch with panoramic views of the surrounding mountainous landscape.
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