Swiss Revival (1820-1880)

The Swiss Revival style was introduced to the United States by romantic popularizer Andrew Jackson Downing, through his pattern book, The Architecture of Country Houses, which showcased Swiss Chalet designs as suitable for “bold and mountainous” sites. The style borrowed heavily from contemporary Swiss domestic architecture.

Identifying features include a low pitched, front gabled roof with wide overhangs, a second story with a wide balcony, and a cut-out, patterned timber balustrade and trim. Facades are often decorated with patterned stickwork decoration. Swiss porches and trim are often superimposed on Greek or Gothic Revival building forms.