Shingle Style (1885 - 1900)

An American style that evolved out of the Queen Anne, it was born in New England.  Shingle style buildings were tamer and more horizontal than their Queen Anne predecessors.  Roofs continued to be prominent and complex, but dormers were often hipped or eyebrow rather than gabled.  Ornamentation was reduced.  Circular turrets and verandas remained popular but were integrated more fully into the overall design.  The entire building was usually covered with wooden shingles.  When a contrasting material was used, as for porch columns or foundations, it was often rough-surfaced, coursed stone or fieldstone rubble which complemented the rough natural texture of the shingles.  The emphasis of the Shingle style was on the surface - the shingle covering that unified all parts of the building.  The interior plan continued the Queen Anne trend toward openness and informality.

[from page 81 of Historic Plymouth Avenue by Christopher N. Brown]

Learn more at Buffalo Architecture and History.