New England Architecture 101 – Stick Style

Arriving after the gingerbread Gothic Revival and before the ornate Queen Anne, Stick Style homes are wooden-clad with a multigabled roof, but their most distinctive feature is an exterior that features raised wooden strips (aka “stickwork”) that vaguely reflects the home’s structural framework.

Time Period: 1860–1890

Defining Characteristic: Decorative stickwork detailing

Famous Example: John N.A. Griswold House in Newport, Rhode Island

Where to Find Stick Style Homes: Throughout the Northeast, including in the Wilder Street Historic District of Lowell, Massachusetts

1. Exterior: Narrow boards (stickwork) arranged in decorative horizontal, vertical, and diagonal patterns

2. Roof: Gabled and steeply pitched, with overhanging eaves and exposed rafter ends

3. Porch: Featuring decorative diagonal braces

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Bruce Irving

Bruce Irving is a home renovation consultant, real estate agent, and author with nearly 35 years’ experience with houses, including 17 as producer of the television series This Old House and its sister shows, where he earned an Emmy and learned the hallmarks of quality design and construction. Bruce writes about architecture and design for several publications and is the author of New England Icons, a book about the region’s built environment.

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