Shingle style architecture
The Shingle style was employed between 1880 and 1900 by prominent American architects like H.H. Richardson, Frank Lloyd Wright and the firm of McKim, Meade, and White. The Shingle style is sometimes referred to as an outgrowth of the Queen Anne style as influenced by the early shingled buildings of New England colonies.
The style began in the New England region and some of the earliest and most notable examples are located there. The Shingle style spread throughout the country, but never became as popular or prevalent as the Queen Anne style. It remained a high fashion, architect-designed style that was seldom translated into more vernacular housing use.
The Shingle style house is marked by the presence of shingles on not just the roof, but on the wall surfaces themselves. The first floor walls may be shingled, or of stone or brick. Shingles may also cover gable ends, curving towers and porch columns.
Shingle style buildings have a rather monochrome appearance since the shingles are unpainted and uniformly cover most exterior surfaces. In shape and form, the Shingle style resembles the Queen Anne style, but it lacks the abundant decorative details. Porches are expansive, often wrapping around the front and sides of the building. Roofs are generally sweeping and multi-gabled. Windows are small and multi-paned and are often grouped in pairs or triples.
The most identifiable features of shingle style architecture include:
- Shingled walls and roof.
- Asymmetrical façade.
- Irregular roof lines.
- Moderately pitched roofs.
- Cross gables.
- Extensive wide porches.
- Small sash or casement windows with many panes.
- Round or polygonal shingled towers.
This article was written by PHMC.
--Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
See also: Shingle roofing.
NB The 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), published by the International Code Council (ICC) defines shingle fashion as: ‘A method of installing roof or wall coverings, water-resistive barriers, flashing or other building components such that upper layers of material are placed overlapping lower layers of material to provide drainage and protect against water intrusion at unsealed penetrations and joints or in combination with sealed joints.’
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Architectural styles.
- Arts and craft movement.
- Balloon framing.
- Beaux Arts style.
- Bungalow.
- Chateauesque style.
- Classical Revival style.
- Frank Lloyd Wright.
- Nineteenth century architecture.
- Octagon style.
- Prairie School style.
- Rule of thumb.
- Shingle roofing.
- Spanish Colonial revival style.
- Stick style.
- Tudor Revival style.
Featured articles and news
The Remarkable Pinwill Sisters: from ‘lady woodcarvers’ to professionals. Book review.
Skills gap and investment returns on apprenticeships
ECA welcomes new reports from JTL Training and The Electrotechnical Skills Partnership.
Committee report criticises UK retrofit schemes
CIOB responds to UK’s Energy Security and Net Zero Committee report.
Design and construction industry podcasts
Professional development, practice, the pandemic, platforms and podcasts. Have we missed anything?
C20 Society; Buildings at Risk List 2025
10 more buildings published with updates on the past decade of buildings featured.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme and certifications consultation
Summary of government consultation, closing 11 June 2025.
Deputy editor of AT, Tim Fraser, discusses the newly formed society with its current chair, Chris Halligan MCIAT.
Barratt Lo-E passivhaus standard homes planned enmasse
With an initial 728 Lo-E homes across two sites and many more planned for the future.
Government urged to uphold Warm Homes commitment
ECA and industry bodies write to Government concerning its 13.2 billion Warm Homes manifesto commitment.
From project managers to rising stars, sustainability pioneers and more.
Places of Worship in Britain and Ireland, 1929-1990. Book review.
The emancipation of women in art.
Call for independent National Grenfell oversight mechanism
MHCLG share findings of Building Safety Inquiry in letter to Secretary of State and Minister for Building Safety.
The Architectural Technology Awards
AT Awards now open for this the sixth decade of CIAT.
50th Golden anniversary ECA Edmundson awards
Deadline for submissions Friday 30 May 2025.
The benefits of precast, off-site foundation systems
Top ten benefits of this notable innovation.