While found throughout the country, the Spanish Eclectic style was most popular in the Southwest and in Florida.  Many examples were built between the 1910’s and the 1930’s.  The style is frequently confused with the preceding Mission style and the roughly contemporaneous Italian Renaissance style – primarily because all three styles typically feature roofs of clay tile.

The following house is different from many examples of the style for two reasons.  First, the exterior is clad in brick rather than the more commonly used stucco.  Secondly, the roof is green which is less common than the red tiles.  Common defining characteristics of the style include an emphasis of the entry, at least one large and prominent window, the use of terra cotta ornament, tile roofing of multiple heights, absence of overhanging eaves, decorative chimney tops, balconies and arched openings.  The varied roofline, combining both hipped and gabled ends, is thought to be an attempt to mimic the varied roofs of Spanish villages.

The Spanish Eclectic style is not very common in my neck of the woods, so the examples I run across are typically not textbook examples.  A photo of another house built in the style – with stucco cladding and a red tile roof – will follow.

The large front window was retrofitted with glass block, probably in the 1940’s or 50’s. Upstairs windows are recent vinyl replacements but do mimic original wood sash surviving on the main level.

Ground floor windows and the the front door are emphasized with decorative terra cotta. Glass blocks have also replaced the original sash of the triple window.

The chimney has been given special attention with a novel patterning of brick.

An iron railing around the roof deck matches the decorative “balconies” on the front.

I took this photo several years ago when I was horrified to see that the original windows in this Spanish Eclectic were being replaced with vinyl units.  Note the original wood sash propped up against the house in the driveway. Sad.