New England Architecture 101 – Stick Style
The signature style element of Stick Style homes makes them easy to identify.
The standout Stick Style home.
Photo Credit : Illustration by Rob LeannaArriving after the gingerbread Gothic Revival and before the ornate Queen Anne, Stick Stylehomes 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
Aimee Tucker
Aimee Tucker is Yankee Magazine’s Home Editor and the Senior Digital Editor of NewEngland.com. A lifelong New Englander and Yankee contributor since 2010, Aimee has written columns devoted to history, foliage, retro food, and architecture, and regularly shares her experiences in New England travel, home, and gardening. Her most memorable Yankee experiences to date include meeting Stephen King, singing along to a James Taylor Fourth of July concert at Tanglewood, and taking to the skies in the Hood blimp for an open-air tour of the Massachusetts coastline.
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