American Foursquare – Lincoln, Nebraska This basic house type, the Foursquare or Box house, was one of the most popular in the first third of the 20th century. It was a step up from the simple bungalow and often replaced the Colonial as the house of choice for larger families. The home built in 1921 is very typical of the style with its wide facade and welcoming porch.
Foursquare or Box House
The term Foursqure is a bit misleading as these early 20th century homes were almost always not square. They tended to be more of a rectangle and have earned a second title of “Box-House” as this more correctly describes the overall shape of the building. They were designed to fit on narrow city lots that were close to public transportation, thus they had a narrower front and longer sides.
Goal & Solution
Goal
The owners desired historic period colors that would work well with the brick porch and the special concrete block foundation.
Solution
A “grayed” yellow was selected for the main body color. A medium green color popular in the Jazz age was employed on the trim with a lighter green painted on the window sash. A 1920s off-white was used on the columns and the porch spindles.
