Based on Italian villas, this style was a contrast to the orderly neoclassical designs. First popularized by pattern books, large-scale Italianate houses were favored by wealthy industrialists after the Civil War. Characteristics include:

• square bodies (symmetrical or asymmetrical)
• flat or shallow roof lines with bracketed cornices
• vertical orientation
• tall, narrow windows, often paired or tripled
• decorative trim around windows and doors
• sometimes a square tower or cupola on the roof

Click here to see photos of Italianate buildings in Lancaster.