Colonial, Federal, Victorian: A Field Guide to the House Styles of Haddonfield

Haddonfield's historic district holds nearly every house style built in New Jersey towns through the late 1800s, from colonial to Queen Anne. The best guide to telling them apart is the district's National Register nomination, listed in 1982. It says the bulk of the buildings date from the early to late 19th century, and that the town "possibly has the most intact and comprehensive collection of Federal style buildings in New Jersey."

Here's how to read what you're looking at on your next walk. Most of these are private homes, so enjoy them from the sidewalk.

Colonial (1700s)

There are colonial buildings in the district, but the nomination notes most have been altered. Among the less changed are the Indian King Tavern (1750) and the Samuel Mickel House (ca. 1700) on Kings Highway East. We read two of the oldest closely in our Indian King and Greenfield Hall guide.

Federal (from about 1780)

This is Haddonfield's signature. The tells:

• Two and a half stories, two rooms deep, brick or frame.
• Three bays with a side hall, or five bays with a center hall.
• Chimneys at both gable ends, often joined by a wall.
• Attic dormers and paneled shutters.
• A semicircular fanlight over the door. The oval, elliptical kind is rare here.

Greenfield Hall at 343 Kings Highway East (1841) is the nomination's example of the center hall form. Potter Street has several side hall examples.

Greek Revival

Pure Greek Revival is scarce. The nomination names the Haddon Fortnightly building (1857, built as the Methodist Church) as the finest. More common is a Federal house wearing a Greek Revival doorway: a square column portico with a flat entablature and a rectangular transom and sidelights.

Italianate (1850s)

"Quite common" in the district, per the nomination. The grand ones are three stories of clapboard with a low pitched roof and usually a center cupola. Warwick Road has the textbook examples.

Second Empire

Look up. In Haddonfield these are all frame houses with a patterned slate Mansard roof, two stories plus the roof, usually with a center entrance. The nomination suggests "Mansard style" fits better here.

Gothic Revival and Carpenter Gothic

Think steep gable roofs, cross gables and pointed arches. Formal Gothic is rare. The nomination singles out two fine Victorian Gothic houses on Washington Avenue designed by the noted 19th century architect Samuel Sloan. The more common local version is frame Carpenter Gothic, including the Baptist Chapel on Kings Highway East with its Gothic bell tower and arches.

Queen Anne and Stick

The later Victorians, per the nomination. Examples turn up on Kings Highway West, Washington Street, Warwick Road and Grove Street. The borough's design guidelines list the details worth protecting on houses like these: cut and patterned shingles, Stick Style trim, verge boards and gingerbread on the gables.

Neoclassical and Georgian Revival

The big civic buildings: the public library (1917), Borough Hall (1928) and Haddonfield Memorial High School (1927) are Neoclassical, per the nomination. The bank at 28 Kings Highway East (1922) is Georgian Revival.

Why style matters if you own one

The borough's design guidelines ask owners to keep the details that define a style, like gingerbread trim, porch columns and original window patterns. If your house is in the district, start with what needs HPC approval before you change anything you can see from the street.

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