Architectural and decorative arts style that flourished in the USA from shortly after the acknowledgement of independence in the Treaty of Paris (1783) until c. 1820. The term is derived from the period surrounding the creation of the federal constitution in 1787 and was in use in a political sense by that year. Essentially it was a form of Neo-classicism, strongly influenced by manifestations of that style in England and, to a lesser extent, in France; but at times certain more conservative qualities inherited from the previous Colonial period are also present. The inspiration of European, and especially English, Neo-classical architecture was to be expected in a society grounded in that of 18th-century England; but an added impetus was the association often cited at the time between the fledgling American republic and the ancient Roman one.

See the Abbreviations for further details.

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An architectural style in the postcolonial era in America, from about 1780 to 1820 and beyond; noted for its clarity of form, simplicity, restraint, and subtle use of color, as well as its delicacy and lightness in detailing; greatly influenced by the work of Robert Adam (see Adam style). Buildings in this style are usually characterized by: a symmetric façade, often with a giant entrance portico (sometimes domed); commonly, brick construction with a Flemish bond pattern and thin mortar joints, or clapboard over timber framing with corner boards; a belt course

Federal style, façade (1796)

separating the first story from the second; a cornice with moldings, friezes, quoins; classical decorative elements such as festoons, garlands, dentils, and egg-and-dart moldings; a side-gabled, center-gabled, or hipped roof of moderate pitch; a balustrade at the cornice line; centrally located chimneys in the northern states in America; exterior chimneys at the ends of the house in the southern states; double-hung windows; initially, stone lintels above the windows, frequently, louvered window shutters; elaborate doorways, including relatively thin columns, full-height pilasters, or framing to form an entryway; a fanlight or a row of rectangular panes over a paneled front door, often with sidelights on each side of the door. Often, little or no distinction is made between the terms Federal style and Adam style, as applied in the American colonies, because of their strong similarities.

Federal style, door

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