Hudson Valley Dutch Colonial Style

Move Over Amityville! Here's Your Style Guide to the Illusive Hudson Valley Dutch Colonial.

What’s the first thing you think of when you hear Dutch Colonial?

If you’re like most people, you probably imagine some kind of symmetrical home with that unique barn-like roof, or maybe one with a passage to hell in the basement…

But much like with Cape Cods in the last blog, this style is mostly known today through its revival period. so what was the Style that Inspired the Revival?

To find out we gotta go back to the incredibly brief New Netherlands Colony in the Hudson Valley. Today we’re looking at the illusive Hudson Valley Dutch Colonial!

So let’s get into it!

What’s the History Behind the Hudson Valley Dutch Colonial Home?

So you might remember from our first blog that America’s English colonies were split by a Dutch colony in the Hudson Valley.

I’m not going to get too deep into the history, but here’s a brief rundown for context:

In the early 17th Century, the Dutch West India Company began setting up their colony in North America. Settlers arrived in 1624 to establish a fortified town at the mouth of the Hudson River they called, New Amsterdam.

This colony would spread up the river valley to present day Albany, but also eastwards through Long Island and into Connecticut, as well as southwards through New Jersey and into Delaware.

The city of New Amsterdam is often considered one of the first cultural melting pots in America as, alongside the Dutch and indigenous people, there were also Africans, Scots, Germans, Scandinavians, French, English, Muslims and Jewish people among others.

As I mentioned earlier, the Dutch foothold in North America was incredibly short, as in 1664, only 4 decades after the first settlers arrived in New Amsterdam, the British came-a-knocking!

The Dutch settlers, feeling ignored by the Dutch West India Company weren’t willing to take up arms, and agreed to a zero bloodshed surrender—that is, so long as the colony’s people retained their freedom of religion, and of course, their public houses were kept open!

As such the melting pot that was New Amsterdam became New York!

What Defines the Dutch Colonial Style?

When the English took control, they didn’t displace the colony’s landlords. So despite becoming apart of New England the homes and culture would continue to carry the diverse characteristics of New Netherlands.

It’s important to remember that before analyzing this style because even though we refer to this style as Dutch, they were but one of the contributors to it. A major contributor, absolutely, but one that was open to suggestion!

Dutch homes were notorious for being built iteratively over generations, and often the original section of the home would showcase completely different trends and cultural traditions than its later additions.

In short, Dutch homes are kinda complicated, and it’s difficult for historians to pinpoint where and how certain traits and traditions developed.

But keeping that in mind, let’s look at some of the trends that were common in these Dutch Colonials. And I think we all know the best place to start…

…Why Do Dutch Colonials Have Barn-Like Roofs?

This is called a Gambrel roof and believe it or not, it was not invented by the Dutch but rather past to them via the English.

The reason they loved these roofs is because their upper floor would have a full-height ceiling while only being taxed as an attic space. And after all, a penny saved is a penny earned!

With that said, this style of roof wouldn’t be popular until the mid 18th century, well after the English gained control of the region. That’s why you’ll often see homes with gable roofs over the original house, and then a gambrel roof over the later addition.

Also notice that these roofs have little to no rake overhang—that’s the part of the roof that overhangs the pitched section of wall.

But despite having no rake overhang, that’s not to say the earlier roofs didn’t have a little flair to them…

…In fact, they often had a little flare to them.

Flared roofs are another distinct aspect of these homes, but curiously, it’s not fully understood why the Dutch started building their roofs like this. Neither the neighbouring English colonies nor the Dutch back in Europe appeared to do this.

One theory is that it’s a hold-over from French-Flemish thatched roof traditions designed to protect plaster walls directly under the eaves.

What Exterior Siding was Common in Hudson Valley Dutch Colonials?

Exterior siding used for these homes differed depending on where the home was built.

In urban dwellings, it was most typical to see brick masonry for a homes exterior. The Dutch were known around the world for being among the most talented brick masons after-all. These homes were very reminiscent of Dutch homes back in Holland, including the use of the iconic stepped parapet.

Unfortunately, very few of any urban dwellings built by the Dutch remain standing in America today outside of a few revivals.

In rural areas however, homes were typically clad in stone. Much like with flared roofs, this building practice also most likely stems from French-Flemish traditions, as little evidence exists of stone being used for construction by the Dutch in Europe.

Wood siding and shingles were also common on the exterior walls of a Dutch Colonial home of this era.

How Did America’s Dutch Settlers Build Their Chimneys?

Speaking of the exterior walls, notice the dual chimneys. Similar to the Stone-Enders in neighbouring Rhode Island, the Dutch differed from other Northern Colonies as they built chimneys on the sides of their homes rather than in the home’s centre.

Also unlike the English, their chimneys don’t extend from the wall but stay flush with it.

Dutch fireplaces actually differ quite a bit from English ones. To start, the hearth was open—often lined with a short curtain at the hood to catch smoke.

By building the fireplace open like this, more heat would be sent inside of the home, rather than being absorbed by the brick work in the chimney. This made Dutch fireplaces much more efficient than their English counterparts.

On the exterior of many of the earliest of these homes, you can often see a section of exposed brick at the base of the chimney. This was believed to be for the installation of a bake-oven.

Were Dutch Homes the First Homes in America to Have a Front Porch?

One of the more intriguing mysteries with this style has to do with the origin of the American front porch which seems to have proliferated across North America by the mid 18th century despite seemingly being non existent at the beginning of it.

While the Dutch are believed to have introduced the stoop to the Americas—the term stoop is Dutch in origin after-all—many rural homes appear to have been built with full-width front porches.

Previously it was thought these porches were later additions, but later analysis of their construction, as well as depictions of these homes in art from that period show this doesn’t appear to be the case. That means Hudson Valley Dutch Colonial homes may be among the first in North America to have a front porch.

But with that said, because of the diverse influences at play within North America’s Dutch culture, the jury’s still out on how the porch entered the American tradition.

Some historians argue of a French origin—like the galleries lining later French plantations in the south—while others point to the Caribbean and Africa as the origin to both porches and the gallery.

What Windows & Doors are Typical for a Dutch Colonial Home?

Starting with the windows, their story is pretty similar to those on English homes of the era—early homes have leaded-glass casement windows with diamond-shaped panes, later homes would opt for double-hung square-panes.

Doors on the other hand are a story in their own right. The Dutch split their doors in the middle so the top and bottom opened independently. As such, these are called Double-Dutch doors.

It’s thought Double-Dutch doors were designed to let fresh air into the home while keeping livestock out.

Conclusion

Dutch Colonial homes are complicated, as they seem to borrow many building traditions from many different places. Furthermore, they were built iteratively and its not uncommon to find one section of home showcasing a completely different style than another.

With that said, a common through line for this style was the flared gambrel roof, use of stone in rural areas, and open fireplace that has a chimney flush with the wall. Urban examples meanwhile were typically brick and often sported a stepped parapet, just like what’s found back in Europe.

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Want to Support this Blog? Consider Buying My Art!

Doing the research for this series takes quite a bit of effort, so if you enjoy this content, it would mean a lot to me if you would show your support by purchasing one of my art prints.

These minimalist art prints look great in any style of home, even one as eclectic as the Hudson Valley Dutch Colonial! You can get these prints in multiple sizes from 8x10" (203mm x 254mm) prints all the way up to 24x36” (610mm x 914mm) prints.

Better yet, we ship internationally!

So long as you’re on this planet Earth—and you have an adequate postal system—you should be able order a print!

My art is perfect for people looking to:

• Refresh your homes interior style
• Spark sophisticated conversations at parties
• Stage a home with classy decor that wows potential buyers

So please, show your support for this blog by supporting a young artist. Check out the featured collection today!

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Next Time…

In the next article, we’ll be moving across the continent to explore a style that largely no longer exists in its pre-revival form, and yet, had a profound impact on later American homes.

What’s your favourite bit of Hudson Valley Dutch Colonial? Let me know in the comments!

As always, thanks for reading and have a good one!

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These blogs are a companion piece to my YouTube series, Return to Old Town, in which I rebuild the original neighbourhood from The Sims while exploring the history of America's residential architecture. Watch the companion episode for this blog here:

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