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Gable-Front
Unlike linear plan
houses with gable ends
as sides, in gable-front houses the principal facade is
located in a gable end. In Morgan County, gable-front houses are found in
three varieties: true gable-front,
gabled-ell and
T-plan.
These are found in all parts of the county dating from the mid-nineteenth
century to well into the twentieth century.
The gable-front house is rectangular in
plan and most commonly one-and-one-half stories in height. Gable-front
houses developed into a popular house type during the
Greek Revival
era when American buildings were designed to be reminiscent of Greek
temples. The effect of a classical pediment was achieved by placing the
principal facade beneath a triangular gable. In fact, when fully attired in
Greek Revival dress, gable-front houses are often called "Temple-Front."
While the temple-front variety was common in the earlier-settled areas of
the country, primarily New England and upstate New York, the stylistic
pretenses diminished as the gable-front house was adopted by settlers moving
westward to the Great Lakes region.
Gable-front houses were found in rural
areas as well as in towns. The form's suitability to narrow-fronted lots in
expanding urban areas made it a popular house type, as did its adaptability
to a variety of styles.
Gable-front: House
(c.1880), 390 East Washington Street
This house was built
about 1880. The front porch, with its
gingerbread and turned posts is
Stick/Eastlake in style.
Gable-front: House
(c.1905), 1089 East Pike Street
Gable-front: House
(c.1870), 89 West Columbus Street
T-Plan
A gable-front house
with a perpendicular rear portion is referred to as a T-plan house. They can
be one, one-and-one-half, or two stories in height. In all cases the front
and rear portions are integrated.
T-plan: House (c.1895), 965 East Harrison Street, Martinsville
Learning Your A B
T's
Did you know?
The T-plan was commonly used for rural one-room schoolhouses between about
1890-1910. The gabled front consisted of an entrance hall and cloakrooms.
The perpendicular rear room was the classroom. The T-plan schoolhouse was
believed to be a dramatic improvement over the crude rectangular
schoolhouse. To learn more about schoolhouse architecture, click
here.
T-plan: Union Schoolhouse,
Baker Township
Built in 1893, this schoolhouse has been
modified for use as a community center. The original front entrance has been
replaced by a pair of small
double-hung windows, and the window in
the east cloakroom has become a door.
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