New England Architecture 101 – Stick Style

Arriving after the gingerbread Gothic Revival and before the ornate Queen Anne, Stick Style homes are wooden-clad with a multigabled roof, but their most distinctive feature is an exterior that features raised wooden strips (aka “stickwork”) that vaguely reflects the home’s structural framework.

Time Period: 1860–1890

Defining Characteristic: Decorative stickwork detailing

Famous Example: John N.A. Griswold House in Newport, Rhode Island

Where to Find Stick Style Homes: Throughout the Northeast, including in the Wilder Street Historic District of Lowell, Massachusetts

1. Exterior: Narrow boards (stickwork) arranged in decorative horizontal, vertical, and diagonal patterns

2. Roof: Gabled and steeply pitched, with overhanging eaves and exposed rafter ends

3. Porch: Featuring decorative diagonal braces

Aimee Tucker

Aimee Tucker is Yankee Magazine’s Senior Digital Editor. A lifelong New Englander and Yankee contributor since 2010, Aimee has written columns devoted to history, foliage, retro food, and architecture, and regularly shares her experiences in New England travel, home, and gardening. Her most memorable Yankee experiences to date include meeting Stephen King, singing along to a James Taylor Fourth of July concert at Tanglewood, and taking to the skies in the Hood blimp for an open-air tour of the Massachusetts coastline.

More by Aimee Tucker