Ghost Writing - Advertorial

The Oregonian: Homes & Gardens Section

Foursquare style explained

Take a walk through any older Portland neighborhood and more than likely, you'll come across a foursquare-style house. Following the Lewis & Clark Exhibition of 1905, the foursquare became popular during the city's biggest residential building-boom.

The layout is designed just as its name states: a square. These homes are almost always two stories, to make full use of the narrow city lots, capped off with a pyramid-shaped roof line with dormers to add extra space in the attic.

Another prominent feature is the substantial front porch - usually extending across the full width of the house and covered with a low-hipped roof.

While some elements are not geometrically exact, such as the first-story door and windows placed off to the side, the second-story windows are almost always symmetrical.

Exterior trim in Portland were predominately simplistic, with horizontal wood siding on the first floor topped by wood shingles on the second floor.

Interiors kept with the basic layout: four square rooms on each floor of the home.

Thoughtfully placed at each corner, these rooms included multiple windows to improve cross ventilation. Some elements from the Craftsman, Colonial Revival and even the Art Deco-style can be seen in the interior appointments and fixtures, but kept with the simplicity of the style.

Fast forward 100 years and enter the Everett Custom Homes, which is one of 32 new homes open on the free Ultimate New Home Showcase, from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. May 2-3 across the Portland Metro area.

At the Everett foursquare at 7104 NE Siskiyou St. in Portland, you'll notice the historical design elements of the American foursquare style. The developer kept with the architectural features, including elements of the city's past.

Notice the vintage tile house numbers that were distributed to Portland homeowners in the 1930s when the city developed a standardized house numbering system.

Another nod to the past: A front porch with the same Douglas fir wood as used when these homes were first built.

Image credit: Everett Custom Homes