Architectural Styles Categories
For the purposes of this architectural field guide, styles have been assigned to key periods of development, from the Colonial period in the 18th century to the Modern Movements of the 20th century. Some buildings of traditional or vernacular design transcend such an era based classification and are included under their own category. Each period of development has a brief introduction with more detailed information about specific styles on separate web pages.
It is important to remember that while some styles are universally recognized, scholars and architectural historians sometimes disagree on the categorization and naming of styles and different books consulted on the topic may offer varying names and periods of popularity. Growing research in the field also has provided better understanding of traditional and vernacular building traditions and greater discusion of some previously overlooked areas. So, while there is a basic language and perception of established architectural styles, it is an evolving understanding and sometimes there is no clearly correct answer.