Rural Survey Building and Structure Types

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Common Typologies in Rural Illinois

McHenry County was first settled by Early Americans of European descent beginning in the early 1830s; although it was not legal until the year 1836, in accordance with the Treaty of Chicago. Before 1836 McHenry County was Indian country. Early settlers came mainly from New England and New York by boat to Chicago. Later, European immigrants from Ireland and German lands came in large numbers.

Most of the early residential dwellings at that time were log or saw-hewn wood cabins. A hallmark example still exists at the McHenry County Historical Museum in Union. The cabins proved to be temporary quarters, however, as local residents replaced the cabins with more substantial and permanent dwellings in a relatively short amount of time. This began in the 1840s and increased in the decades that followed.

The most dramatic change in architectural forms and styles came about with the arrival of the railroads, as was true with rural America in general, moving in a generally westward direction. The first rails in McHenry County were laid in the years 1854 and 1855. The railroads hauled in mass-produced, milled lumber and materials that could come from long distances. The massed-produced era reached a pinnacle with the plans and materials one could order from a Sears catalog, which included not only house plans, but barns and agricultural accessories as well.

Architectural "forms" of buildings (e.g. "pyramid cottage") are found in the earliest examples of construction, much like Louis Sullivan's notion of "form follows function" and were simple and unornamented types. Architectural "styles" (e.g. "Greek Revival" or "Queen Anne") generally refer to more ornamented types of construction that came later. The tables below represent typical forms and vernacular styles common for conducting Illinois Rural Surveys. The list is not exhaustive, and not all of the styles were necessarily popular in McHenry County. Early forms were simple, growing larger and more complex (in stylistic elements) as time marched on. Sometimes stylistic elements were appended to older structures that were remodeled. The list focuses on mostly historical forms and styles, rather than more modern ones, since that has been the focus of historic surveys, particularly since the mid-1980s. Residential dwelling and agricultural buildings forms and styles are covered. To a lesser extent other rural types, such as public, institutional, commercial, buildings and other structures are given a quick introduction.

Note: Sections of this page are Under Construction.

Residential Dwellings

Illustration Of structure	Type of Structure	details	Period Most Frequently built

	One-Pen	A one room house of one floor, usually with loft. The presence of a porch was also common. Pre-railroad dwellings are now rare in McHenry County, due to demolishment, re-purposing (like a conversion to a storage building), or remodeling / expansion so that the original form is no longer evident.	Pre-Railroad
	One-Pen (Example 2)	As above.	Pre-Railroad
The following group of dwellings are a vernacular architecture that are referred to a "Folk Houses." This group typically lacks ornamentation, unless it was added at a later date. Dwellings that possessed more ornamental features are typically referred to as "*Stick Built Houses*." Cottages used for vacation purposes became quite popular in eastern McHenry County in the 1920s — mainly in subdivisions near the Fox River, its channels and tributaries, and adjacent to certain lakes. Many original dwellings were later converted into year-round residences and often remodeled / expanded. On rural farms that where the first settlers built log cabins, they were soon enough replaced with more substantial dwellings when that became possible in terms of time, money, and technology.			1850s to 1890s (In some areas well into the 1920s)
	Square Cottage	A one or one and a half story house with a square or nearly square perimeter. An addition is present in this example.	As above.
	Square Cottage (Example 2)	As above, without any additions, but ornamentation has been added in this example.	As above.
	Pyramid Cottage	A one or one and a half story house whose roof is pyramid-shaped . These distinctions can be altered by obvious extensions and yet be considered a pyramidal cottage.	As above.
	Pyramid Cottage (Example 2)	As above, but more elaborated.	As above.
	Pyramid Cottage (Example 3)	As in the above two, but larger and more elaborated.	As above.
	Workers Cottage	A one or one and a half story house with two rooms side by side. Although additions may change the foundation outline of the house, as in this example, the basic unit is unmistakable.	As above.
	Workers Cottage (Example 2)	As above, but more elaborated.	As above.
	L-Cottage	An L-shaped floor plan in a one or one and a half story house.	As above.
	Shotgun	This single story house is one room wide and at least two rooms deep producing an elongated side profile. This type is not common to rural McHenry County, as they are more suited for urban towns and cities with narrow lots.	As above.
	I-House	Invariably two rooms wide and two stories high. Variations include the hallway, which can be absent but frequently is centrally located, and a one- or two-story 'ell' attached to the rear to form an L- or T-shaped overall floor plan. The width of the window / door arrangement in this example is termed "three-ranked." The term "I-house" was coined by Fred Kniffen, professor at Louisiana State University because of its common occurrence in the rural farm areas of Indiana, Illinois and Iowa, thus I-house.	Late 1800s to early 1900s
	I-House (Example 2)	As above, but the width of the window / door arrangement in this example is termed "four-ranked."	As above.
	I-House (Example 3)	As Above but the width of the window / door arrangement in this example is termed "five-ranked" and some Italianate style features are present.	As above.
	Four-over-Four	Two rooms wide and two rooms deep with an identical second story thus stacking four rooms atop four rooms.	As above.
	Upright-and-Wing	Combination of a two-story house with its gable end providing the main view and shorter (one or one and a half story) section attached at a right angle to the larger element in such a fashion as to form an overall L-shaped plan. These often bear Italianate stylistic elements. Upright-and-Wing forms were very, and still are, common in rural McHenry County.	As above.
	Upright-and-Wing (Example 2)	As above, but a larger, full two-story version.	As above.
	Upright-and-Wing (Example 3)	As Above. This particular example features the Italianate detailing mentioned above.	As above.
The following group of dwellings are those that are classified by specific styles that represented various stripes of architectural movements, which usually hearkened back to some previous era and emulated certain stylistic elements. Within each of the styles shown here, many variants are possible. Sometimes the styles are mixed as well, which may exhibit a couple of identifiable types, or they can be highly mixed — considered an "eclectic" style.
	Greek Revival	A one and a half story house with moderately pitched roof. A gable and public entrance is often present. The presentation of a classic order on a temple front is seldom present. More often these stylistic elements are reduced to pilaster strips on each corner of the house. A heavy wooden cornice with box returns is another common trait. Many examples of Greek Revival survive in McHenry County, which date back to about the 1850s here.	1840s - 1860s
	Greek Revival (Example 2)	As above.	As above.
	Prairie Square	This style is related to, but not the same as, Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie School style. A Prairie Square is generally a two-story house of cubic massing with a low pyramidal roof. (Note that it resembles the smaller "Pyramid Cottage" in the "Folk Houses" section above.) A Prairie Square often has a first floor porch the full width of the house and a dormer on the front façade. This particular example has a rear addition. The Prairie Square style is very common in the county's cities and villages. Sometimes the porches were enclosed later.	1900 to 1920s
	Prairie Square (Example 2)	As above.	As above.
	Craftsman / Bungalow	A one or one-and-a-half story house with a low-pitched roof above a gable end main facade. The low lying quality dramatized by the considerable roof extension beyond the walls further distinguishes this type. Many Sears homes fall into this category.	1905 to 1930s
	Craftsman / Bungalow (Example 2)	As above.	As above.
	Craftsman / Bungalow (Example 3)	As above.	As above.
	German	This one or one and a half story house is distinguished generally from other cottages by masonry construction, gable and chimneys, and a squat gable profile. Decorative detailing often includes brick corbelled to create a cornice or dentils. This type is restricted mostly to areas of mid-nineteenth century German settlement in Illinois: Clinton, Madison, Monroe, Perry, Randolph, and Washington Counties. Stray individual examples may be discovered elsewhere, however.	1800s
	Galerie	A gable-ended house of one or one and a half stories with porch set into the mass of the house rather than added. This creates a distinctive gable end profile in which one roof line is of equal length on both sides of the roof ridge, unlike other similar houses. "Galerie" is essentially French for "porch." The galarie should not be mistaken for a house whose profile comprises a roofline which is longer over the porch and whose roofline over the porch is at a more moderate pitch than between the eaves and the roof ridge. The distinction is important because the galarie and similar-looking houses appear in the same areas. While it has not been researched deeply, this type is assumed to be rare in McHenry County. Feel free to email us if you think you know of one.	1800s
	Italianate	A full two- or three-story house with low-pitched roof. Decorative brackets are nearly always present. Windows are tall and narrow with elliptical arches. Some of these houses have a cupola centrally situated atop the roof. Other examples have a dominant tower. Many fine examples of Italianate style	1840s/1850s - 1880s
	Georgian	Named for British King George, Colonial Georgian is an Eastern Seaboard style and are typically two stories tall. In the Upper-Midwest, the style is expressed in "revival" styles, such as what is known as "Colonial Revival." Another reason it is beneficial to know this base style is that the early settlers of the county came in large numbers from the New England and New York and were familiar with this type of construction and style.	1700s to circa 1830 (Mainly Eastern U.S.)
	Georgian (Example 2)	As above, but this example is highly ornamented.	As above.
	Georgian (Example 3)	As above. Note the dual chimneys in this example. Also note that the first example and this one resemble the four-over-four form of dwelling in the Folk Houses" section above.	As above.
	Federal	The Federal style follows, and is closely related to, its Georgian precursor. It is also referred to as the "Adam" style, which is odd, since the time period of its flowering was post-American Revolution when the U.S.A was distinguishing itself from Britain. The term "Adam" derives from the Adam Brothers architectural firm, which was the largest one in Great Britain at the time. Like the Georgian, the Federal Style is a basis for the later Colonial Revival style.	1780s to circa 1840
	Federal (Example 2)	As above.	As above.
	Federal (Example 3)	As above.	As above.
	Second Empire	The term "Second Empire" refers to the time period in France whence its development is rooted. It was also sometimes called the “General Grant style” after the Civil War for public buildings built by the Grant administration. It is part of the Victorian group of styles, referring to the (mostly latter) period of Queen Victoria's reign. Typical features include a mansard roof with dormers, bay windows, often a prominent tower and large porch, vertically-elongated windows, prodigious use of decorative cornices and brackets, and often ornamental ironwork.	1860s – 1880s
	Queen Anne	The Queen Anne is one in the Victorian group of styles. Earlier, transitional versions, surfacing in that developed into the Queen Anne style have been dubbed "Stick Style" homes, which tend to be more rectangular and vertical, but tended to have ornate detailing like the Queen Anne style would come to feature. Asymmetrical massing and multiple building materials are the chief characteristics. Other characteristics include several roofs, steeply pitched, some conical, with ridges joined at various angles. Often a turret / turreted cupola is present. Porches are typically prominent. Windows are numerous of various sizes, and of various shapes including key-hole, circular, and topped by arches. Like the earlier Second Empire style, Queen Anne Homes were highly ornamented.	1880s – 1910s
	Queen Anne (Example 2)	As above.	As above.
	Colonial Revival	The Colonial Revival style types are a subset of the so-called "Eclectic" architectural group. Colonial Revival style hearkens back to the pre-Revolution Georgian and subsequent post-Revolution Federal / Adam style.	1880 to 1955 (Particularly1895 – 1929)
	Colonial Revival (Example 2)	As above.	As above.
	Dutch Colonial Revival	The Dutch Colonial style originated Dutch settlements in the Hudson River valley and southward from there along the Raritan River, and further south, in what is now New Jersey and Delaware. The most distinguishing feature is the dual-pitched main roof sections, with a third short roof section that is shallower-pitched over the eaves of the house. A similar form of roof on barns is referred to as a "Dutch Gambrel" roof.	As above.
	Carpenter Gothic or Gothic Revival	Invariably a wooden house. Stylistic features include highly ornamented bargeboard and decorative arches between porch posts. The term "carpenter" refers to the exuberant wooden trim resulting from machine-sawed lumber. In many cases the emblematic pointed-arch, Gothic style windows are present. Highly elaborate versions exhibit finials atop roof gables. Hutchinson House in Harvard is a notable example of this style; however, it was clad in masonry and stone in contrast to the statement in the above paragraph.	1840s - 1880s
	Carpenter Gothic or Gothic Revival (Example 2)	As above.	As above.
	Carpenter Gothic or Gothic Revival (Example 3)	As above	As above.
	Tudor / Chalet	Usually a one-and-a-half story house with a very steeply pitched roof and any projection for windows or doors on the public facade. The impression, however large (even in two-story examples), is a rustic, country cottage.	1900s onward

Agricultural Buildings - Barns

Illustration Of Structure	Type Of Structure	Details
	Gable Barn	It is distinguished by two opposing gable ends. Doors may be at either end or along the sides.
	Gable Barn (Example 2)	As above.
	Gable Barn with Extension (also called Saltbox)	This barn has two opposing gable ends with a shed-like addition along one or both sides. The pitch of the roof is identical from the ridge to the eaves or can change (often more shallow) above the shed-like addition.
	Gable Barn with Shed Extensions (Example 2)	As above.
	Extended Gable Barn	This barn has two opposing gable ends with an addition on one or both sides. Although these additions are distinguishable by tell-tale marks (for example, variation in kind, or size of siding) on the facade, the roof pitch is identical to the upper part of the roof.
	Barn having a Broken Extended Gable	This barn has two opposing gable ends with shed-like additions along one or both sides; but, the pitch of the shed-like roof is shallower than the upper section of the roof. Thus, the variation in pitch presents a profile denoting the extension or shed-like addition.
	Gambrel Barn with Shed Extensions	A barn distinguished exclusively by its roof type in which the pitch changes between a section from the ridge and a section to the eaves.
	Extended Gambrel Barn	A barn characterized by two clearly discernable alterations in the roof profile, as viewed from the end of the barn. The highest section of the roof has the steepest pitch. The pitch of a section beneath it to the eaves is shallower and the pitch above an addition along one or both sides of the barn is shallowest.
	Dairy Gambrel Barn	This barn is characterized by a distinctive roof and perimeter at grade. The pitch of the roof changes noticeably between a section from the ridge and another section to the eaves. The perimeter of the barn at grade forms a long and narrow profile with numerous windows on the long sides.
	Gothic Barn	This barn has a roof profile from a view at the short end which is formed by two identical ellipses joined at the ridge.
	Extended Gothic Barn	As above, Shed-like additions with a roof line different from the portion described above can be present, as in this example.
	Dairy Gothic Barn	This barn has a distinctive roof profile and perimeter at grade. The roof is formed by two identical ellipses joined at the roof ridge. The perimeter of the barn at grade forms a long and narrow profile with numerous windows on the long sides.
	Western Barn	This barn type is distinguished by a tall central section with lower, shed-like additions on one, two, or three sides.
	Banked Barn	An earthen embankment or combination of earthen embankment and bridge provide wide access to the second level of this type of barn.
	Forebay Barn	Second and any higher levels of this barn type project over the foundation on one side of this type.
	Forebay Barn (Example 2)	As Above.

Agricultural Buildings — Barns — by Roof Type

Illustration Of Roof Structure	Type Of Roof Structure	Additional Remarks
	Simple Gable End
	Gable End Extended with a Shed Roof
	Gable End Extended Broken (2-Slope)
	Gable End Half Monitor
	Gable End Monitor
	Gable End Saltbox
	Gable End Extended
	Hip Roof
	Gable on Hip Roof
	Snug Dutch (Snug Nosed)
	Gambrel Roof – Dutch (Dairy Barn)
	Gambrel Roof – English (Dairy Barn)
	Gothic – Round Roof (Dairy Barn)

Agricultural Buildings — Outbuildings and Other Structures

Illustration Of Structure	Type Of Structure	Additional Remarks
	Corn Crib
	Corn Crib (Example 2)
	Corn Crib (Example 3)
	Summer Kitchen
	Smoke House
	Grain Silo
	Windmill Waterpump

Other Rural Buildings and Structures

Illustration Of Structure	Type Of Structure	Additional Remarks
	Town Hall	Town Halls were the meeting places for each township in McHenry County. Two excellent still-standing examples include the Franklinville (Old Seneca Township) Town Hall and the Riley Town Hall in Riley Township.
	Wooden School, One Room	McHenry County had numerous one-room school houses, and many still exist; although they have nearly always been re-adapted to some other use, such as a home or an office.
	Masonry School, One Room	This is a rendering of one of the few masonry one-room schools in McHenry County — The Old Holcombville School (1858) located near Crystal Lake. It is clad with red brick. Other masonry schools include Old Greenwood School in Greenwood (1859) and Old Harmony School (1931) outside of Marengo. The Old Greenwood School, however, is larger and was built in the original with two stories.
	Rural pre-1945 Larger Modern School	Over time rural school districts grew larger in population and in area (by merging districts together), resulting in the need for larger school buildings, such as depicted here.
	Rural Tavern	Taverns of early rural origins, such as depicted here, continue to be encountered in McHenry County; although they have often been converted to other uses, like stores. They are typically found in the more urbanized areas or as "way stations." on rural highways.
	Rural Gas Station	Gas stations like this have become rare in their original form, but can still be found in this area, such as Chemung, Illinois. They were not exclusive to rural areas, as they were found in large cities as well.
	Highway Motel	Highway motel are scattered throughout northern Illinois. In McHenry County, though, they tend to be located within or near the cities or villages, which are relatively close together.
	Church	Small wooden churches, similar to the one shown here, are still found scattered throughout McHenry County, especially in small rural hamlets.
	Church	Small masonry churches, similar to the one shown here, may still found in the area, but they were much less common than the wooden ones. If a church burned down a newer, larger building would often replace the original one.
	Grain Elevator	Grain elevators of the type shown here have largely been replaced by larger, more modern elevators and none are known to exist in this area.
	Mill	Mills and cheese factories were found throughout the local area in the 1800s. While you'd be hard-pressed to identify a building that had been a cheese factory, you may still find a mill, such as the one located in Alden, Illinois.
	Railroad Depot	Railroad depots were part a part of every significant, and some not-so-significant towns located along the railways. Unfortunately, most of the historic depots have been lost, either demolished outright, or replaced by more modern train stations where commuter rail service remains. Examples of historic depots in McHenry County include Crystal Lake, McHenry, Woodstock, and the Union depot in the Illinois Railway Museum.
	Stone Masonry Bridge	Stone masonry bridges, where roads cross streams, such as the type shown here, are not to be found in McHenry County. Minor stone passages in the form of culverts are still found along the railroads, and a stone viaduct still exists today where South Street passes under the Union Pacific railroad in Woodstock.
	Steel Truss Bridge	Steel truss road bridges like the one illustrated here are long gone from McHenry County. The last known one was the Allendale Road bridge near Greenwood, While the bridge had been designated a landmark, it was replaced due to safety concerns in 2009. Truss bridges of other sorts may still be found along existing or former railroads.