During quarantine, walks around the block have us all looking at the beautiful homes in our neighborhood a little more closely. By far, the most interesting homes to browse during these neighborhood strolls are the historical homes full of character and classical architecture.
Still, if you live in a particularly new neighborhood or are new to the area where you live, you may not know about the historic homes that are surrounding you. Luckily, a new study from Homes.com was able to look across the country to find the areas with the most historic homes. Seeing if your city is on the list, as well as learning a little bit about the styles of historical homes that may surround you could make your walks around the neighborhood a little more entertaining.
According to the report, the city with the most historical homes was St. Augustine, FL with over 11,200 historical homes per capita. If you live in or near St. Augustine, you may be familiar with the Spanish-style Florida villas designed to be open to the coastal Florida breezes. You may notice that the old-looking homes in your neighborhoods feature domed ceilings, terra cotta walls and even religious elements, all of which match the Spanish Renaissance architecture that made the hotels, estates and churches in the region famous.
Another populous city that was recognized for its historical homes was Oak Park, Illinois which you may stroll through if you call the Windy City of Chicago home. Interestingly, the area was home to the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, designer of the Fallingwater home and even hosts the Prairie School of Architecture. However, the historic homes in the area don’t just fit into Wright’s design style or even the Prairie, but range in all sorts of styles including Victorian, American Foursquares and Tudor Revivals. If you’re interested to get to know the stories of the homes around you in Oak Park, you can even visit the city’s Historic Resource Map, which identifies all sorts of historic properties in the area.
Finally, the city identified several New England cities as hubs of historic homes. According to the report, Newport, RI impressively has over 6,100 historical homes per capita. Residents of Newport have undoubtedly strolled by the city’s famous breaker mansions, which put American architecture on the map in the 1920s. However, many Rhode Islanders might walk right by the area’s historical beach cottages without a second thought. The giant fireplaces, stone architecture and beach-worn shingles that have worn through decades of New England weather are the inspiration for plenty of coastal architectural thought. If you live around the area, you might consider looking for these historical styles during a walk by the Atlantic breeze.
Overall, the United States has plenty of historical homes that may be hiding in plain sight from the residents that surround them. By paying close attention on your next walk around town, you may find one of these hidden gems from yesteryear!