24/7 Wall St. Insights
- Italianate architecture gained prominence in the mid-19th century.
- There are over 4,000 listings categorized as Italianate in the National Register of Historic Properties.
- Today, 10 of the top 25 cities for Italianate architecture are in Massachusetts.
- Italianate capitals tend to be older, with the populations of 14 of the top 25 cities peaking in the 20th century.
- Also: 2 Dividend Legends to Hold Forever
Italian architectural influence spread to America in the mid-19th century by way of English builders and pattern books. What became known as the Italianate style largely consists of boxlike two- to three-story houses with wide roof eaves supported by large brackets. As cast-iron became more popular in the 1860s, Italianate houses also began to use cast-iron moldings for ornamental tracery in porches, balconies, railings, and fences. Many Italianate houses feature cupolas to serve as observatories or widow’s walks in seaside downs.
Today, there are over 4,000 listings categorized as Italianate in the National Register of Historic Properties. And while thousands more Italianate buildings exist throughout the country without formal historic status, a look at NRHP listings by address reveal the best cities for seeing Italianate architecture in America.
To determine the best cities for Italianate architecture, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on historic properties from the National Register of Historic Places of the U.S. National Park Service. Cities, towns, and villages were ranked based on the number of listings in the NRHP that are designated as Italianate architecture style as of October 2024. Supplemental data on median home age is from the 2022 American Community Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau.
25. Lancaster, KY
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 11 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 53 properties
- Median home age: 53 years
- City incorporated: 1837
- Notable Italianate listings: Garrard County Jail, Peacock-Miller House, J. C. Hemphill House, Petrie House, Lancaster Commercial Historic District
24. Atlanta, GA
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 11 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 241 properties
- Median home age: 39 years
- City incorporated: 1845
- Notable Italianate listings: Emory University District, Atlanta and West Point Railroad Freight Depot, Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta University Center District, Fox Theatre Historic District
23. Covington, KY
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 12 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 51 properties
- Median home age: 77 years
- City incorporated: 1834
- Notable Italianate listings: Licking Riverside Historic District, Seminary Square Historic District, West Side-Main Strasse Historic District, West Fifteenth Street Historic District, Helentown Historic District
22. Brookline, MA
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 12 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 98 properties
- Median home age: 84 years
- City incorporated: 1705
- Notable Italianate listings: Brookline Town Green Historic District, Ginery Twitchell House, William F. Tuckerman House, James H. Standish House, House at 9 Linden Street
21. Somerville, MA
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 12 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 81 properties
- Median home age: 85 years
- City incorporated: 1872
- Notable Italianate listings: George Wyatt House, F. G. Williams House, Charles Williams Jr. House, Charles Williams House, Charles Schuebeler House
20. Mount Pleasant, IA
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 13 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 22 properties
- Median home age: 55 years
- City incorporated: 1856
- Notable Italianate listings: Harlan-Lincoln House, Brazelton House, Harlan House Hotel, Zuhn Building, Union Block
19. Vicksburg, MS
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 13 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 75 properties
- Median home age: 58 years
- City incorporated: 1839
- Notable Italianate listings: Bobb House, Beck House, Main Street Historic District, Grove Street Houses, Walnut Hills
18. Reading, MA
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 13 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 90 properties
- Median home age: 66 years
- City incorporated: 1644
- Notable Italianate listings: Walnut Street School, Rowhouses at 256-274 Haven Street, House at 42 Salem Street, House at 322 Haven Street, House at 26 Center Avenue
17. Denver, CO
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 13 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 321 properties
- Median home age: 52 years
- City incorporated: 1861
- Notable Italianate listings: Tivoli Brewery Company, Westside Neighborhood, Enterprise Hill Historic District, Guerrieri-Decunto House, John Elsner House
16. Wilmington, DE
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 14 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 132 properties
- Median home age: 80 years
- City incorporated: 1832
- Notable Italianate listings: Lobdell Estate, Minquadale Home, Delaware Avenue Historic District, Old Asbury Methodist Church, Quaker Hill Historic District, Logan House
15. St. Joseph, MO
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 14 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 57 properties
- Median home age: 63 years
- City incorporated: 1845
- Notable Italianate listings: Wholesale Row, Hall Street Historic District, Miller-Porter-Lacy House, Vosteen-Hauck House, Robidoux Hill Historic District
14. Taunton, MA
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 16 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 96 properties
- Median home age: 62 years
- City incorporated: 1864
- Notable Italianate listings: Old Colony Railroad Station, H.B. Lothrop Store, Sarah A. Haskins House, George Dean House, Samuel Colby House
13. Stoneham, MA
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 17 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 68 properties
- Median home age: 61 years
- City incorporated: 1725
- Notable Italianate listings: R.P. Turnbull House, John Steele House, John Jones House, Walter K. Foster House, Amasa Farrier Boardinghouse
12. Waltham, MA
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 17 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 109 properties
- Median home age: 63 years
- City incorporated: 1884
- Notable Italianate listings: Leonard W. Stanley House, Joseph Andrews House, Potter-O’Brian House, Edwin C. Johnson House, Henry C. Hall House
11. Newton, MA
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 17 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 187 properties
- Median home age: 83 years
- City incorporated: 1873
- Notable Italianate listings: House at 68 Maple Street, House at 60 William Street, House at 15 Davis Avenue, House at 3 Davis Avenue, Seth Adams House
10. Cambridge, MA
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 18 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 212 properties
- Median home age: 78 years
- City incorporated: 1846
- Notable Italianate listings: Hiram Sands House, John Aborn House, Norfolk Street Historic District, Ash Street Historic District, Wyeth Brickyard Superintendent’s House
9. Chicago, IL
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 18 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 411 properties
- Median home age: 72 years
- City incorporated: 1835
- Notable Italianate listings: Delaware Building, Gold Coast Historic District, West Jackson Boulevard District, Wicker Park Historic District, Story-Camp Rowhouses
8. Hartford, CT
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 19 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 150 properties
- Median home age: 72 years
- City incorporated: 1784
- Notable Italianate listings: Armsmear, Congress Street, Lewis Street Block, Buckingham Square District, Hyde-St. John House
7. Boston, MA
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 23 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 318 properties
- Median home age: 79 years
- City incorporated: 1822
- Notable Italianate listings: South End District, Eliot Burying Ground, Washington Street Theatre District, Liberty Tree District, Moreland Street Historic District
6. Worcester, MA
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 24 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 289 properties
- Median home age: 73 years
- City incorporated: 1848
- Notable Italianate listings: Horatio Tower House, Old State Mutual Building, Mission Chapel, Marcus Hobbs House, Castle Street Row
5. San Francisco, CA
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 25 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 201 properties
- Median home age: 79 years
- City incorporated: 1850
- Notable Italianate listings: Golden Gate Park Conservatory, Jackson Square Historic District, House at 1249-1251 Scott Street, Building at 45-57 Beideman Place, Building at 33-35 Beideman Place
4. New Orleans, LA
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 27 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 204 properties
- Median home age: 66 years
- City incorporated: 1805
- Notable Italianate listings: Gallier House, Faubourg Marigny, Irish Channel Area Architectural District, Greenville Hall, Algiers Point
3. Washington, D.C.
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 29 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 663 properties
- Median home age: 68 years
- City incorporated: N/A
- Notable Italianate listings: Eastern Market, Main Gate, Washington Navy Yard, Eight Hundred Block of F St. NW, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Old Engine Company No. 6
2. Davenport, IA
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 33 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 256 properties
- Median home age: 58 years
- City incorporated: 1881
- Notable Italianate listings: Frick’s Tavern, Clifton, J. W. Stewart House, Henry H. Smith/J.H. Murphy House, Alvord I. Smith House
1. New York, NY
- NRHP listings in Italianate style: 53 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 809 properties
- Median home age: 73 years
- City incorporated: 1652
- Notable Italianate listings: 75 Murray Street Building, Gen. Winfield Scott House, St. Mark’s Historic District, Stuyvesant Heights Historic District, Cobble Hill Historic District
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