House I am putting an offer on. What style is it?

What Style Is This

1/9

This is a house I viewed yesterday and plan to put an offer on. It is absolutely beautiful. The foyer and stairwell are the icing on the cake; the stained glass, woodwork, original beaux arts wallpaper (I think?) are breathtaking.

However, I am curious what the outside would be considered. Yes, American Foursquare, I know. But it honestly reminds me a lot of mission revival; the terracotta shingles, and the white brick seems to mimic stucco. I will be removing the aluminum siding on the dormers to see what's underneath there, but I am assuming it's just some boxed trim pieces around the windows (other houses in the neighborhood use the same detailing on the dormers).

in centuryhomesby Critical_Link_1095

1.9K

96%

16d

Sarelbar

339

16d

Fucking incredible, that’s what.

Thirty_Helens_Agree

16d

It is in the style of gorgeous!

sar1234567890

15d

I am of the same opinion!

Puzzleheaded-Farm417

16d

That was my reaction for sure!

6thCityInspector

1.3K

16d

That’s some crazy sag to that front porch covering. You’re gonna want a quote to remediate that before you buy. My guess would be $15k+, easy.

jaaaaayke

668

16d

With an interior like that, it would be worth it.

SonoftheSouth93

183

16d

Yep, it’s worth it.

AwayCartographer9527

15d

Look at me over here with a saggy porch.

rdoloto

15d

Pop them this old house videos in

rdoloto

15d

Also in glad I’m not first one to mention it

cumdumpmillionaire

15d

Yall wild lmao

Mobile-Present8542

15d

Gorgeous!

Cityofthevikingdead

15d

I thought it was a fisheye-type photo in the thumbnail. Nope, sag.

kcmbrandon29

15d

Same but then I saw the top and it's level

Bangkok_dAngeroUs98

16d

The porch is improperly supported… structural problem

Yagsirevahs

15d

This porch just need 2 additional columns pn eitherside of the steps. If they weren't removed, get a structural engineer out there, 750-1k. The weight of the shingles is too much for the span. Its a problem but very fixable. Id buy the without reservation.

Juryofyourpeeps

15d

True, but it's probably less work to add a new beam that can handle that span. Adding new columns means removing a good chunk of the stairs and deck because you have to support the point load down to a new poured pad or pier. You can't just add supports on to the deck that don't carry the load down to the ground.

Newcastlecarpenter

15d

As any house that has a porch built before 1970,

interactive-biscuit

15d

I think it is a structural problem but not in the sense that there's an issue with the original house. I think the roof that is currently on that house is far heavier than the house was ever intended to support. That whole roof should go, IMO.

myproblemisbob

16d

That was the first thing I saw! It's a little frightening money wise.

kakey70

16d

Unintended pagoda.

MuffledOatmeal

15d

😆😆🤣

Suitable-Squash-6617

15d

I don’t know where you are, maybe $15k could get you another (2) columns under there. Maybe. But where I am, you couldn’t touch it for less than $30k if you wanted that clear span. Probably more like $45k

StrategicBlenderBall

15d

Two more columns might be all it needs

Mary-U

15d

I’m thinking someone took out a couple somewhere along the line. I was trying to see if there were two empty bases there.

tuckedfexas

15d

On a newer home it’d be a pretty easy fix, just swap in a more substantial beam. On these older homes, you never know what you’re gonna find until it’s open lol. They’re so much more fun to work on but also much more of a pain in the ass.

adam10009

15d

It’s just smiling at the camera.

NoviceAxeMan

15d

nahhh just a couple of 6x6s and you’re set for life. //s

distantreplay

15d

Absolutely the columns flanking the porch steps have been removed.

hatesbiology84

16d

So glad someone else saw this! Buyer beware 😳

mrmitchs

15d

It's not sagging. It's smiling.

RAdm_Teabag

15d

get an engineer before making an offer.

GreenfieldSam

American Foursquare

15d

My guess is that there were posts at one point that were removed

pterodactyl-jones

15d

I don’t think it should have those tiles on the “flat” roof.

TheOptimisticHater

299

16d

Them hipped roofs don’t lie.

Critical_Link_1095

16d

Haha, what does that mean? The attic space is completely finished which is nice. It's an open room with dormers the size of the front dormer on each side. It would ve an awesome club room or something.

La-White-Rabbit

146

15d

fyi - there was a post just yesterday warning about posting the front of your house. Reverse image search might just kick up a lot more offers for this place because you posted here. ....just mentioning i guess...

faeoj

15d

I mean, I found it pretty quick. Very jealous of the price compared to similar homes in my state. I agree though I would have put this up after your offer was accepted.

Critical_Link_1095

15d

I don't mind, we need more out of state folks who appreciate historic design and won't plan to paint all the woodwork. There are many other houses in the neighborhood like this that come onto market periodically, but they are usually more so pushing 500K.

kylaroma

Craftsman

15d

They’re not warning you about having other people bidding on it.

If you share the front of your home and then win this home, then you’ve doxxed yourself.

That means anyone can reverse image search this, find the address, and look up your real legal name because that’s all searchable to the public. That makes your online identity would be linked to your real identity, permanently.

It’s an identity thief’s dream, and makes you vulnerable to a massive amount of fraud because they have some key real pieces of your identity information. It’s also a huge safety risk for you or the people you live with now or in the future, especially if any of those people are women.

Derangedcity

15d

It means the roofs sagging

theatremom2016

15d

There's a song called "My hips don't lie" that they're referencing

Beanicus13

15d

I really doubt that the reference is the part they didn’t understand lol

No_Cat_No_Cradle

308

16d

I’d call it an American foursquare

Bananaleigh

16d

Yup! I wouldn’t say mission, just good ole American traditional foursquare. My house is similar- good luck!

Apptubrutae

15d

Front looks very very similar to mine. My whole house isn’t a foursquare because it’s in New Orleans and we don’t do square homes, but the front is that style.

[Image]

PsychedelicSticker

15d

That’s a gorgeous house! What is is like living in New Orleans?

Apptubrutae

15d

Not many places like it, that’s for sure.

Pace of life is nice. It’s one of those places where people are very heavy on the “life” part of the work/life balance. Flip side of that is the job market is pretty crappy for many.

It’s also a city that’s slowly dying, so there’s that too. Fastest shrinking metro in the U.S. over the past few years.

It’s not for everyone, but for the people who like it here, there’s really nowhere else to be.

Some of the best food, the best music, the weirdest people, and the best public cultural participation in the U.S.

PsychedelicSticker

15d

I always wanted to visit New Orleans! I hope that I will one day. Sad to hear that job market is crappy and that the city is dying.

Apptubrutae

15d

You should visit!

The city has been dying, relatively speaking, a very long time, lol. It’s part of the culture of the place. As is the crappy economy. Know what good economies do to unique places? Make them less unique, often.

So it’s good and bad. But absolutely worth a visit.

Sleveless--

15d

Is there a distinguishing factor that makes this as a foursquare? I would have thought Craftsman.

goldanred

15d

Craftsman is sort of an umbrella term. There are a few styles under craftsman, including four-square

Sleveless--

15d

Thanks. Great info!

LL_Gabagool_J

15d

What are the other styles under craftsman?

Arev_Eola

15d

Onesquare, twosquare, threesquare, and foursquare

Just kidding, I don't know either

goldanred

15d

Loosely, as far as structure goes, the classic bungalow is one storey, or maybe 1.5 storeys with the .5 being livable space under the gable dormer. The foursquare has two storeys, like pictured here, and the layout is usually pretty symmetrical. A lot of the examples I've seen show four pretty well equally sized bedrooms on the second floor, possibly where the term "foursquare" comes from.

As far as style goes, craftsman can be described as "mission style", which can draw inspiration or elements from Spanish styles (stucco, tile), or "Prairie style" (think Frank Lloyd Wright). All craftsmans have a strong use of woods, stone, warm and earthy colours, and often have stained glass. The style emphasizes good quality construction, simple yet attractive design, warmth and coziness.

Sobriquet-acushla

15d

Yay! I immediately thought Craftsman but didn’t know why.

linwe_luinwe

12d

The fireplace imo

No_Cat_No_Cradle

15d

The giveaway is the full second floor with windows on both sides, implies a generally boxy layout made up of, well, four squares. But yes it’s also a craftsman, which is a more general term.

sandpiper9

15d

American Foursquare is a very specific configuration design that isn’t deviated from, or it ceases to be a Foursquare. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Foursquare

Sleveless--

15d

This is great! Thanks for passing the link along

Think-View-4467

16d

Yes!

25_Watt_Bulb

15d

Foursquare is a house shape, not a style of decoration. This house has the form of a four square, but that doesn’t convey how it’s decorated. As with most houses of this era, it isn’t one pure style. I’d call it Oriental inspired Arts and Crafts, as oriental patterns and inspiration were still popular in this period and popping up in unusual places. The tile roof wasn’t just associated with mission style, but also Japanese style.

toastedguitars

15d

Yes! Looks a lot like all the four squares we have out in Denver. But we call them Denver four squares.

MissionRevolution306

16d

Yep!

franillaice

16d

That front door is beautiful!

Gullible_Toe9909

301

Year: 1915, City: Detroit, Architect: Albert Kahn, Style: Mixed

16d

Definitely craftsman... With a saggy porch roof 😉

Edit: technically, I'd say early Arts and Crafts...while the term is synonymous with Craftsman, A&C has a bit more emphasis on aesthetic. This was definitely earlier in the A&C movement, as you can still see a lot of Victorian influences.

egret_puking

16d

Eh, could be lens distortion, no?

lololpalooza

15d

Probably not lens distortion, since the porch roof is closer to the center of the frame. You'll notice the roof above it, while closer to the edge of the photo, is not bent. It should be more warped if it's a fish-eye effect, especially compared to the porch roof.

Critical_Link_1095

16d

Do you think the sag is intentional or just settling? I know some styles of craftsman use syncline arches, but it's not replicated anywhere else on the house. Probably sag from the structure of the roof not being strong enough to completely support the terracotta shingles. I'm sure it's fine, as long as there is no rot.

straberi93

155

16d

It looks to me like the two inner columns were removed. My porch looks identical and the outside columns are brick, but the inside columns were wood and they were removed at some point so that burglar bars could be added. The bars provided some, but not enough support. We put in 2x4s and then added column wraps I bought online to avoid having to cut all the nasty angles that come with tapered columns.

_Neoshade_

Home remodeling contractor

16d

Bingo.
The solution is to replace the posts or put a steel beam in.

reno_dad

16d

This.

Most craftsman of this style have 4 posts with a low railing between the outer and inner posts.

You need to add the posts.

straberi93

16d

For what it's worth, I did not have a structural engineer come out to look at it, but it's pretty straightforward and my dad's an engineer. Bottom lins is that you have a load-bearing beam that spans the length of your porch, which is too long to be wood and unsupported. You could do steel, but you'd have to replace it, which is expensive and a pain in the ass.

I say all this to make one important point though - DO NOT STORE CRAP IN THE ATTIC ABOVE THE SAGGING BEAM. I know the space is large and nice. Until you get this fixed (and honestly, even then if you're going to free ball it out here without a structural engineer) you do NOT want to add any weight in the attic that would put pressure on that unsupported beam.

Lay down some plywood over the beams in the main house (yes, I know it is low and the nails are sticking out) and stick anything you need to store there, or over the beam that runs on top of the front wall of your house. Even after I added the support, I have zero boxes on the side of my attic that is over the swayed beam.

Suitable-Squash-6617

15d

What attic over the porch? It doesn’t look like anything is failing at the connection to the house. There were inner supports that were removed and then significantly heavier roof material added. It deflected at the weakest point, front and center. It needs an LVL or I-beam to span that.

Myfourcats1

16d

Yeah. We have houses just like this in my city and that sucker is missing two important beams.

Gullible_Toe9909

Year: 1915, City: Detroit, Architect: Albert Kahn, Style: Mixed

16d

Impossible to tell without an inspection. Could be weight of the shingles, could be water damage, could be missing support, could be all three.

Beautiful home though...looks like a lot of the homes we have here in Detroit.

Schiebz

16d

Kalamazoo as well!

AT61

16d

Beautiful home. Imo the porch roof is sagging in the middle. The fascia above it looks level. The porch floor looks level - is it uneven/cracked in person? Have you had it inspected? My home's quite similar to this, but there are two additional columns in the center. Thing is, it doesn't look like this one has had anything removed unless the columns were wood.. Can you see any footprints where columns may have been? That is a long horizontal expanse - Perhaps the wood beams have deteriorated - a potentially expensive fix. Def get it checked out.

dreammmzzz

15d

It's definitely not intentional.

If it's that noticeable in pictures the problem is structurally affecting the entire house. OP don't be blinded by a beautiful interior. If you're serious about putting in an offer have a home inspection done asap because this house could need a lot more work than you're realizing.

Apptubrutae

15d

I see lots of these sags in my city. They’re not intentional, I can say almost certainly. Plenty of homes have columns in the middle, no sag.

And look how the line at the roof doesn’t match. If the sag was intentional, it would sag in both places.

magobblie

16d

That's beautiful! I hope you share more photos when you get it.

GuillaumeAzkoaga

15d

And your work schedule!

ferocioustigercat

16d

Craftsman. And so help me, if you paint any of the ceiling beams or other wood work in white paint, I will find you...

Sobriquet-acushla

15d

I think they should paint all the wood black and white, with super-shiny paint, for a modern update! /s

Queen_trash_mouth

1904 Brick 4 square St Louis

16d

A gorgeous one. I love the front door and the entry area!

TyranitarusMack

16d

Sweet mother of god

ThreeLeggedMutt

16d

Took the words right outta my mouth

-Meatloaf

[deleted]

16d

Wow such a beautiful home. Love it

jayac_R2

16d

Man I want a staircase like that

Eensquatch

16d

If you touch any of that wood I will hunt you.

ko21361

16d

Does that furniture convey??

Seriously, don’t change a thing except fixing that porch.

flaminkle

13d

Some of that furniture needs to stay with the house- there’s no way it’s going to fit in a smaller house!

ScientistCapable1522

15d

Gotta say you Americans have some beautiful houses

Loztwallet

16d

I’m going to say Arts and Crafts, not it’s very popular spin-off, craftsman. A&C would be from about civil war period up to the early 1900’s, so Victorian times. The craftsman would be 1900 to 1930 or so. But the details, especially interior are much more A&C to me. Look up some solid examples of both and make your conclusions.

And yes American four square is also A&C.

OldMotherGrumble

15d

The Arts and Crafts movement started in the UK from about the 1880s.

Former_Expat2

15d

Yeah, not sure what the other person was talking about. Arts & Crafts is a distinct English style that influenced American design too, but not till the late 1880s and especially the 1890s-1910. The American Craftsman is an offshoot of the English Arts & Crafts movement.

He or she may have confused it with the aesthetics movement, which did start after the Civil War, roughly, and lasted into the 1910s.

Critical_Link_1095

16d

Edit: Not Beaux Arts, Arts and Crafts! Now watch everyone comment be someone correcting me 😆

JBNothingWrong

15d

Foursquare Craftsman eclectic with Spanish colonial revival elements

Lulu_belle

16d

Wow! Sooooo beautiful!!

jojoolie

16d

That house is stunning, an absolute dream house! I wish you the best of luck, hope you make a lot of happy memories there!

MrsDanversbottom

16d

Looks like Angela’s house from My So Called life. Kind of. Craftsman.

eggher

16d

I always loved that house!

MrsDanversbottom

16d

Me too!

trollcole

16d

Used to live walking distance from her home and Brian’s. Brain’s is occupied, but Angela’s isn’t. I think the city owns it? Boarded up. Probably still is.

MrsDanversbottom

16d

Oh God! No! I loved that neighborhood.

Just looked it up, it’s 1110 Glendon, South Pasadena. It’s still up.

trollcole

15d

Oh it’s not torn down, just unoccupied and the city boarded it up so no one breaks in.

hoaryvervain

16d

I am in love with this house. I hope you get it!

catsmom63

16d

Big concern would be the sagging porch roof. That looks expensive.

That’s a large span with no support in the middle (assuming wood supports?).

Definitely have someone look at that.

KorneliaOjaio

16d

Holy…..and I cannot stress this enough….shit.

That front entrance. 💀❤️

reefered_beans

16d

Wooooooow

Different_Ad7655

16d

It's a foursquare, probably with a nice tile roof and certainly needs a couple of pillar posts built in the exact style of the building to support the load of that porch. And usual that they are not there.

a9ymoose

16d

WOWWW

JanetandRita

15d

It’s an American Foursquare! As an aside, I’ve been putting off redoing my porch for some of the same reasons people in the comments mention, but the bones of the house are top notch and nothing else needed work.

uberschnitzel13

15d

Holy crap that’s one of the coolest interiors I’ve ever seen

Those windows, all that wood, the entryway with the curved glass, it’s amazing

ToastetteEgg

16d

What a gorgeous home. I love Craftsman houses.

No-Brilliant5342

16d

It’s an American Foursquare

AdMost3735

16d

I think it called bad ass as hell

betinalss

16d

I love the english language. Every word you used are negative and yet this is a compliment lol

User deleted comment

16d

Critical_Link_1095

16d

This house is $389,000. That's the benefit of living in an economically depressed state in Appalachia with population decline for the last 60 years.

Xyzzydude

16d

Yeah when I saw Kanawha Valley in the watermark I knew you were getting it cheap.

Critical_Link_1095

16d

I assume you're a fellow appalachian haha

Federal_Diamond8329

16d

There’s one in Princeton, WV that looks a lot like that.

BhagwanBill

American Foursquare

16d

Got a link so I can see more pictures?

scrambledeggnog33

16d

It’s beautiful. It seems like it could fall under a craftsman or a prairie style home.

dave_stolte

16d

Textbook Arts & Crafts style home.

thatsBOOtoyou

16d

Haunted!

Pstanky

16d

I LOVE THIS HOUSE

QuitProfessional5437

16d

That front door is perfect.

tiredandshort

16d

Wow I never would’ve guessed that’s what it would look like inside

hadapurpura

15d

Inside it kinda looks like Norman Bates’ house (in a good way).

ashyboi5000

15d

In the UK this would be described as arts and crafts, merging with art nuvaue.

Creative_Ad9583

15d

Arts and crafts style architecture

https://www.oldhouseonline.com/house-tours/how-to-spot-an-arts-and-crafts-house/

AwayCartographer9527

15d

It’s Craftsman. See “Arts and Crafts movement” and “William Morris”. If you paint the wood, believe it or not, straight to jail. Good luck! Hire me if you need help decorating 😂

RadlEonk

15d

Please don’t “renovate” it.

vadutchgirl

15d

Foursquare

-6Marshall9-

15d

Craftsman 4 square

Key_Set_7249

15d

Awesome home. It reminds me of the homes in Old Louisville

marc_t_norman

15d

Awesome house! Charleston, WV area? Share more pictures when it's yours. I'd love to see more

flowersandfists

16d

Absolutely beautiful.

basylica

16d

Gorgeous!

oldhouse_newhouse

16d

It's AMAZING! Good luck!

ZealousidealEar6037

16d

Hope you get it, it’s lovely!

500ravens

16d

My God that’s gorgeous. I hope you get it

bustyshacklefjord

16d

bungledlow

catterybarn

16d

Idk but I hate you 😭 so beautiful

Calm-Ad8987

16d

James wan vibes

bobjoylove

16d

Imma say the terracotta roof and siding are later additions.

To fix the porch sag, replace the roof and fix the horrors lurking under the siding, budget like $35-75k

FuzzyComedian638

16d

It's stunning! Congratulations!

Airport_Wendys

16d

Do you know the history behind the house? That could be from the old DuPont or Union Carbide boom after WW1

Spelt666

16d

What is it listed for?

AdUpbeat5171

16d

It’s amazing!

Cool-War4900

16d

Wow!!!! That is amazing! Congrats

Intelligent_Mango_64

16d

looks absolutely incredible

Sniffy4

16d

well, at least your view wont be obscured by support pillars for the few years before roof collapses

jewbacca331

16d

Craftsman I think.

Complex-Event-3814

16d

That totally looks like the “Charmed” house !!!!😍

Wild-Individual-6520

16d

The foyer and staircase looks a LOT like “10Things I Hate About You”!

colorsofautomn

16d

That porch roof is NOT OKAY.

baldwinsong

16d

Looks like a sears catalog craftsman’s home

pimpfriedrice

16d

My dream home! 😍

abba-zabba88

16d

I want 😍

Bright-Studio9978

15d

Interesting combinations. It’s size and style is American foursquare. The inside, elongated bricks, large eaves and vertical windows on the gable show prairie style. The Spanish tile roofs suggest a west or southwestern influence. Parallel chimneys are Georgian. Some issues to note: 1. The porch has a major sag 2. Dark spots on eaves are likely due to moisture and leaks. 3. Check brick walls for any signing of differential settling.

BigBazook

15d

Awesome house

Rasha26

15d

Secret-Umbrella-lab-style

BackpackHatesLicoric

15d

Haunted.

GrinAndBeMe

15d

Full disclosure…I know nothing and invent my own descriptors, but this is most definitely a Bloomington Deluxe Plus. I love it!

goldbeater

15d

If only there were two more columns at the top and each side of the stairs,the porch roof wouldn’t have sagged.

nuwaanda

15d

Arts and Crafts/Craftsman but it’s almost giving Chicago Prairie vibes. Looks very similar to my Chicago Prairie home in some areas.

Suitable-Squash-6617

15d

Craftsman with some beautiful Arts & Crafts interior details as well. That porch span is a real concern. Looks like a series of remodels left it incapable of taking the load. The original build would not have had a span like that with the clay tiles. If the bones are good it’s worth re-engineering that porch for sure. It’s a historical gem 💎

DougtheDM

15d

You know what style? Haunted ass mansion style. You going to be seeing ghost, dead bodies, zombie, hell even OJ Simpson up in there. Good luck!!!!!!! I'm out just so I don't get them by association

ScottClam42

15d

Please please please dont paint over any of that wainscoting or trim if you end up buying it! Good luck... im jealous

ilikepickles00

15d

Gorgeous? Haha

sammiemaynard

15d

Move me in! Haha

Tommy-ctid-mancblue

15d

Murder mystery

The_Shryk

15d

That’s a haunted house yall move into and after a few weeks things get funky.

You should find an old priest and a young priest and put them in your contacts list now, while your body is still your own.

vatersgonnavate

15d

Haunted. That's a haunted house.

longfurbyinacardigan

15d

That is so beautiful. What is the square footage? Good luck with your offer!

Winter-Abrocoma-18

15d

lol putting an offer on a 400k home as a “broke as hell” 21 year old. Your post history is hilarious lol. Why lie ?

WetRainbowFart

15d

My brother in Christ, crop your pictures.

George_GeorgeGlass

15d

Don’t you have an agent who you work with who can explain the house in detail? These posts confuse me every time I see them. If you’re putting an offer on a house have you not spoken in detail to RE agents who should be able to give you details about year built, style etc?

George_GeorgeGlass

15d

jesse_cooks_things

15d

Reminds me of the house from "Charmed"

Flashy_Mess_3295

15d

The interior looks like it's pulled straight from a movie. Also buying a house in this market. Interest is at 6-7% that's gonna cost yah. Good luck though. Hope it works out.

Sadielady11

15d

My friends have a house almost identical to this one. Except they have a secret room off the main grand staircase. The door is hidden in the wallpaper and is very hard to find. Behind the door is the cutest bedroom and bathroom I've ever seen! I really hope you buy this house! But yeah the porch sag is stressing me out for you.

MyFifUsername

15d

Are you in Bham?

bswiftly

15d

This one definitely has ghosts

PurpleFly_

15d

Money pit

esmicumpleanos

15d

It’s a lovely house. I hope you can get it and be very happy in it!

Utterly_Dazed

15d

It’s a gorgeous home, even with the porch issue it’s still worth the purchase but use the sag as a negotiating tactic for credit so you can properly correct the issue. Don’t let the seller do it

Safiya1978

15d

Arts and crafts, Victorian heritage, colonial, Tudor all come to mind

adam10009

15d

Wow that’s pretty. You’re going to buy lemon oil by the gallon and it’ll smell amazing

Exciting_Willow_025

15d

I would say this is part craftsman for sure with all the exposed beaming Gorgeous

AncientHawaiianTito

15d

Beaux-Arts style popularized by Daniel Burnham, who despite his name, did not burn ham

Ohwow_Imustbemiami

15d

I hope that's just a trick of the photo..but the front porch roof looks like it's bowing in the middle.

cdev12399

15d

That front roof is going to haunt you. You desperately need a structural engineer to inspect that. That’s serious sag. Don’t ignore this when you think about your offer.