[Illustration: _Fig. 43. The 1905 E. L. Neville Colonial Revival two
story house (Bldg. 147)._]
Houses built after 1900 with the characteristics described as follows
have been designated as being Colonial Revival style. A basic
characteristic feature of this style was the accentuated front door with
a porch supported by slender columns. Doors often had overhead fan or
transom lights with sidelights, and windows contained double hung sash
with multi-pane glazing in one or both sashes. As the 20th century
advanced, windows were grouped in pairs of even units of three.
The Ernest L. Neville house on Hudson Lane, Monroe, figure 43, was
erected as a two story house with a dominant front gable with a
multi-paned Palladian window, complete with keystone. The half-porch is
full height with a railed balcony and Doric columns.
The circa 1914 James Harvey Trousdale house, figure 44, on Hudson Lane
is Colonial Revival in detailing, but the dominant, nearly square,
configuration resembles that of a 19th century Louisiana raised cottage.
Note the full story height raised basement area with the broad entrance
steps.
[Illustration: _Fig. 44. The J. H. Trousdale House circa 1914 (Bldg.
148)._]
The George Weaks House on Riverside Drive, Monroe, figure 45, was built
during the first decade of the 20th century. The full two-story
semicircular porch with columns and pilasters has a balustrade and broad
dormer at the roofline. The front door is accentuated with square
transom and sidelights. Note the elaborate expanse of entry steps at the
porch floor. Windows are glazed with multiple upper sash panes and a
single lower sash pane.
[Illustration: _Fig. 45. Classical porch on circa 1900’s Weaks
house._]
Closer examination of the Weaks House in the porch detail, figure 46,
reveals elaborate Colonial Revival detailing. The columns have Ionic
capitals and fluting. The curved entablature with dentils is enhanced
further with the application of moulded wood brackets under the roof
eaves.
[Illustration: _Fig. 46. Ionic column capitals on Weaks house (Bldg.
149)._]
The Neville, Trousdale, and Weaks Houses were built near the river in
the area expanding to the north of Monroe. They, along with the Governor
Hall house which follows, are examples of the early Colonial Revival
period in Monroe.
The Governor Luther Hall Colonial Revival home pictured in figures 47
and 48 was erected on Jackson Street in the older section of Monroe
circa 1906. It contains the characteristics of the style previously
described—accentuated front door with full pedimented portico supported
by slender columns, fan light and sidelights and multi-panes over single
pane sashes. The Hall house also contains elaborate detailing in
addition to these usual characteristics of the Colonial Revival style.
[Illustration: _Fig. 47. Gov. Luther Hall’s circa 1906 home (Bldg.
150)._]
[Illustration: _Fig. 48. Elaborate porch detail on Hall home (Bldg.
150)._]
The detail drawing of the Governor Hall house, figure 48, is
illustrative of elaborate, nearly excessive, detailing. The window not
only possesses pilaster trim with an entablature and pediment, but also
a design featuring interlocking segmental and square panes in the upper
sash. The entry door is slightly recessed which allows space for three
segmented arches with keystones on Doric columns. And, in addition, the
balcony above is supported by four curved fan-like wooden brackets. Note
the large scale column bases.
The Travis Oliver house at the north end of Riverside Drive in figure 49
is indicative of the continued popularity of the Colonial Revival style
in the cities. Built circa 1930, this two story house, similar to those
previously described, has a full porch with slender columns, a small
balcony and accentuated front door with an elliptical transom and
sidelights. But certain mutations make this Colonial Revival house
distinct from those previously described. The lower front windows are
wood casement with a semicircular wood fan above. Second story windows
are large eight over eight pane double-hung sash. Most importantly, the
house is of brick veneer construction. Those previously described have
horizontal wood siding. The 1930’s decade witnessed the apparent
popularity and desirability of the use of brick in preference to wood as
an exterior cladding material.
[Illustration: _Fig. 49. Circa 1930 Oliver house on Riverside,
Monroe (Bldg. 151)._]
Although Colonial Revival has been a dominant style for house
construction in the Monroe and West Monroe area during the 20th Century,
other styles are represented and will be described following.