November, 19 19 
19 
SHALL WE KEEP TO THE COLONIAL? 
Peace Brings the Architectural Problem of Creating a More Distinctive American 
Style Based on Colonial Precedents of Simplicity 
HAROLD DONALDSON EBERLEIN 
T HERE has always been a profound archi¬ 
tectural reaction after any great war or 
any great economic disturbance. Architectural 
history supplies abundant examples of this. 
Despite the economic disturbance that has 
affected every aspect of our domestic life, 
houses we must have 
and houses we must 
build. The burning 
question is “How 
are we going to ac¬ 
commodate our ar¬ 
chitecture to the re¬ 
adjustment that 
present conditions 
have forced upon 
us?” 
It is perfectly evi¬ 
dent that the diffi¬ 
culties of the situa¬ 
tion entail, at least 
for the time being, 
some sort of radical 
simplification in the 
whole domestic 
scheme of a great 
many of us. Are we 
going to let that 
process of simplifi¬ 
cation, as it applies 
to our housing, dis¬ 
courage us and lead 
us to build mere 
houses? Or are we 
going to measure up to the task confronting 
us, display some imagination, and put to good 
use the lessons to be learned from our past 
national experience so that our dwellings, as 
well as affording the requisite physical shelter, 
shall be real homes? 
In surveying the situation of domestic archi¬ 
tecture in America at this immediate time, two 
patent facts stand forth, which it is impossible 
either to gainsay or to escape. In the first 
place, the small or moderate-sized house is 
going to determine the average architectural 
complexion of the 
country. It must 
inevitably do so 
from sheer force of 
numbers. In the 
second place, the 
average of architec¬ 
tural performance, 
in dealing with the 
small or moderate¬ 
sized house, has 
conspicuously failed 
in reaching the 
mark that one may 
legitimately hope 
for it to achieve. 
And candor compels 
us to admit that the 
outlook in sundry 
directions is dis¬ 
quieting, unless we 
are prepared to face 
conditions squarely 
and apply a timely 
remedy. 
That the small 
house is going 
to’multiply more 
The gambrel roof type is a favorite Colonial style because it is pleasing to the eye and affords the 
greatest possible space for the outlay. Aymar Embury II, architect 
The first floor plan of the house above shows a prime simplification — 
the dining-room is eliminated, leaving one large living-room 
Upstairs the hall space is reduced to the absolute minimum, thus afford¬ 
ing larger bedrooms and more closets all compactly arranged 
