Learn about architecture in New England by exploring three houses in Deerfield, Massachusetts. Each house exemplifies different architectural periods: Colonial, Georgian and Federal.
For additional information about architecture, please browse the following pages:
Wells-Thorn House—Southern Ell
Post Medieval English / Early Colonial Style – Northern Version, 1600-1740. Built in 1747, this part of the Wells-Thorn house is a type of early American architecture tied to modest English cottages from the same period.
Wells-Thorn House—Main Building
American Georgian Style, 1711-1780. Built in 1747, this building is a type of early American architecture influenced by the classical orders of ancient Greece and Rome, the designs of Italian architect Andrea Palladio, and English architects like Inigo Jones and Sir Christopher Wren.
Coleman-Hollister House
Federal Style, 1780-1820. Built between 1796 and 1797, the Coleman-Hollister House, named for the first and last families to use it as a home, was built by emerging architect Asher Benjamin. This grand home is an example of how Federal Style architecture looked in Western Massachusetts.
Architecture Glossary
A list of all the glossary words for the “Exploring New England Architecture” activity.
Architectural Resources
A list of books and websites about architecture.