Newel posts – used to anchor the balustrade of an open staircase – have had many different looks over the centuries. Because of their high visibility at the foot of a stair, “starting” newels are often larger and more ornamental than secondary newels which typically follow over the course of several levels. These high-profile architectural elements have their own distinctive charm and can often tell us something about the house or building that surrounds them. Unfortunately, many old buildings have lost their original newel posts and balustrades in the name of modernization – often creating the impression of a younger structure. Age- and style-appropriate newel posts greatly enhance the character of their respective buildings; their presence is significant where architectural integrity is concerned.
Unless otherwise noted, photographic images below have been harvested from the absolutely fascinating (and habit-forming) Old House Dreams which culls through real estate offerings on Zillow and similar sites for the most interesting old houses on the market! Unfortunately, few realtors seem to know how to photograph a staircase and inevitably their listing photos show staircases starting half-way up the flight (or, perhaps even more teasingly, show only the tops of newel posts as if the rest of it were somehow irreleveant). It seems counter-intuitive, but many real estate listings for two-story homes don’t even bother to show the staircase at all! This has made finding good images somewhat challenging.
As with most things in life, the following are generalities and not absolutes; there are almost always exceptions to any rule. But the newel posts below will illustrate what was often common for styled houses in many parts of the United States for their respective time slots. Many of these examples will be from homes of the wealthy and are not always representative of what was typical for more modest, vernacular, interpretations of the styles represented. And specific styles, of course, don’t stop and start at precise dates; they were often popular both before and after the time frames shown below. For the sake of brevity, more obscure styles have been omitted. I’ll start with 1850, and work toward the present… one decade at a time! Part Two will follow eventually…
1850’s Popular architectural styles in the 1850’s included Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, and Italianate.
1854 Greek Revival, Rayle, Georgia. This turned newel is beefier than many of its earlier, Colonial-era, predecessors but more petit than some that were then more fashionable. It evokes the 1850’s South very well.
1851 Gothic Revival, South Windsor, Connecticut. This chamfered newel is in a house designed by Alexander Jackson Davis.
1855 Italianate, Keokuk, Iowa. This handsome newel post is transitional between earlier turned posts and the later, beefier, hexagonal and octagonal shapes that were to soon become popular. The paint is not original; the handrail, balustrade and newel post are all likely of walnut.
1860’s Popular architectural styles in the 1860’s included Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Second Empire and Stick.
1867 Greek Revival, Humboldt, Nebraska. This has been painted and is only half-visible – but you get the idea.
1860’s Gothic Revival, Salem, New Jersey. This mid-size octagonal newel somehow escaped being painted.
Circa 1860 Italianate, Sardis, Mississippi. Exuberantly paneled, this type of newel post was fashionable from the 1850’s through the early 1880’s and was commonly found in Gothic Revival, Italianate and Second Empire houses which were highly styled.
1870’s Popular architectural styles in the 1870’s included Gothic Revival, Italianate, Second Empire and Stick.
1879 Gothic Revival, Saint Paul, Indiana. A paneled octagonal newel post in excellent condition! Panels appear to be inset with burled walnut, a favorite technique of the era.
1878 Italianate, The Dalles, Oregon.
1875 Second Empire, Franklin, Pennsylvania. The panels of this newel post appear to be inset with burled walnut.
1880’s Popular architectural styles in the 1880’s included Italianate, Second Empire, Stick, Queen Anne, Shingle and Romanesque Revival.
Circa 1880 Italianate, Keosauqua, Iowa. This unusual newel post shows a transition to the “box newel” which was creeping into period millwork catalogs. Its panels appear to be of burled walnut.
1880 Second Empire, Quincy, Illinois. This substantial newel post, with its stylized ornament, is characteristic of the Aesthetic Movement which was fashionable when the house was built.
1886 Stick style, Britt, Iowa. The box newel is gaining popularity; here the form is combined with a novel balustrade themed with Moorish arches.
1887 Queen Anne, Eatonton, Gerogia. This stairwell uses a combination of turned and box newels. One of the turned newels also serves as a structural post helping to support the second floor above; it sports decorative banding on the shaft and brackets at its top.
1882 Shingle style, Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Mary Fiske Stoughton House, a landmark example of the Shingle style, was designed by H. H. Richardson. The woodwork was originally varnished, not painted. Sedate turned posts show restraint compared to other newels of the period. HABS photo by Jack Boucher, 1965.
1888 Romanesque Revival, Middletown, Ohio. The lamp on this large, squat, newel appears to be a 1920’s replacement.
1890’s Popular architectural styles in the 1890’s included Queen Anne, Romanesque Revival, and Colonial Revival.
1896 Queen Anne, Paxton, Illinois. Round columns atop paneled box newels support an arcaded opening in this George F. Barber design, typical of his elaborate style but hinting at the Colonial Revival influence that he was soon to embrace more fully.
1899 Romanesque Revival, Brooklyn, New York. Square fluted columns atop ornate box newels support a decorative grille in this narrow but opulent hallway.
1893 Colonial Revival, Neenah, Wisconsin. A tall box newel with appliqued ornament and an elevated balustrade anchor the landing of this dignified staircase.
1900’s Popular architectural styles in the 1900’s included Queen Anne Free Classic, Colonial Revival and Neoclassical Revival.
Circa 1900 Queen Anne Free Classic, Warren, Pennsylvania. The influence of the Colonial Revival is quite evident. The newel lamp appears to be a replacement from the 1920’s.
1904 Colonial Revival, Joplin, Missouri. Stout turned balusters and paneling emulate Colonial-era tradition.
1904 Neoclassical Revival, Maryville, Missouri. Classical elements join in an asymmetrical stairway composition, A simple box newel is overshadowed by short Ionic columns.
1910’s Popular architectural styles in the 1910’s included Colonial Revival, Neoclassical Revival, Prairie and Craftsman.
1913 Colonial Revival, Amelia Court House, Virginia. The handrail terminates in a volute at the foot of the stair atop a turned newel surrounded by simple, square, balusters.
1918 Neoclassical Revival, Barnwell, South Carolina.
1908 Prairie, Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Simplified and stylized design characterized the Prairie aesthetic.
1914 Craftsman, Springfield, Minnesota. Craftsman newel posts also tend to be pared down. The slat balusters are given interest with triangular apliques.
1920’s Popular architectural styles in the 1920’s included Colonial Revival, Neoclassical Revival, Italian Renaissance Revival, Spanish Revival, Tudor Revival and Craftsman.
1928 Colonial Revival, Kendallville, Indiana. A very high-style interpretation of a Colonial stair; the newel is again ensconced by balusters.
1925 Neoclassical Revival, Hamlet, North Carolina.
1925 Italian Renaissance Revival, Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida. A lamp standard serves as a newel post at the foot of this graceful iron balustrade.
1925 Spanish Revival, Altadena, California. An iron balustrade is anchored by a fanciful iron scroll in lieu of a newel post.
Circa 1920’s Tudor Revival, Leland Grove, Illinois. These newel posts suggest a Medieval tone. Colonial-inspired stair parts, as well as simple iron balustrades with minimalist iron newels, were also used in many Tudor Revival houses of the period.
1927 Craftsman, Woodbine, Kansas. Simple box newels of Colonial inspiration are often found in later examples of the Craftsman style.
1930’s Popular architectural styles in the 1930’s included Colonial Revival, Neoclassical Revival, Spanish Revival and Tudor Revival.
1934 Colonial Revival, Shaker Heights, Ohio.
1938 Neoclassical Revival, Somerset, Massachusetts.
1936 Spanish Revival, Columbus, Ohio.
1937 Tudor Revival, Springfield, Missouri. Many Tudor Revivals used balustrades of Colonial inspiration such as this one.
Fascinating post! Proves once again that you learn something newel every day!
So happy you liked the post(s)!
I am trying to identify the style of a box post from Cincinnati, oak with arched panels, egg trimmed edges and a carved capital. The front has a rounded feature with carved appliques on each side. I cannot find an example of a newel with arched panels. Can you help?
If you can email me a photo of your newel post, I’ll try to help you identify it in terms of style. Not all newel posts will fit neatly into established architectural styles! The fact that yours is a box newel, and made of oak with carved appliques, makes me think that it is likely from the very late nineteenth century or early twentieth century and likely of Queen Anne or Colonial Revival inspiration.
Thanks! The information was very helpful. If you come across a newel post with arched panels, please send me a copy.
Squee!
A whole post about newel posts!!!!!!!!!
… with a sequel on the way! 🙂
Beautiful. I’m especially fond of the George Barber design. The arcade and the way it ties into the stairs really make for a Piranesi-like experience!
I like the Barber design also… his houses – even the more sober Colonial Revivals – all have a magical quality about them!
Excellent post! That is a lot of fun pics to chew through. Thanks!
Thanks! Now that winter appears to be gone I am hoping to do some traveling in search of more architectural depravity! I’ve been cobbling posts together from online material while weather was not cooperative. I’ll get back to more of my usual stuff as soon as I can…
Very nice post! You’ve really taken the time to provide a plethora of examples. The very first shot of the Greek Revival newel post is quite similar to ours from 1852.
The 1850’s were a really interesting period, both socially and architecturally! There were an amazing variety of shapes and styles of newels that were concurrently popular… it was difficult to pick just three to represent an entire decade! A previous house of mine, built in 1855, also had a newel post similar to the one you mention – only much more slender. Glad you liked the post!
As children, my brothers and I loved the curved banister without the pointy thing at the end…;-)
Not all balustrades are as user-friendly, that’s for sure!
I am writing to you about the 1938 Neoclassical Revival in Somerset MA. I was surfing the web tonight to get ideas on landscape designs from the 1930’s & all of a sudden imagine my surprise when I see my foyer on your website blog! My husband & I purchased the home December 31st, 2018. We have restored & continue to restore the home & the property. We have purposely left as many period details intact as we could. We enjoy the period bathrooms & kitchen & left them almost as is. The tile work was well preserved. The home hadn’t been resided in since 1977 so there were some definite issues. The interior painter had said when we hired him that if we wanted any of the incredible woodwork painted he would decline the whole job. We laugh at the thought of painting such incredible details.
Thank You for having such an educational & informative blog. Bill Powers Jr
It never gets old seeing the photo of my foyer in your blog.
As far as Art Deco, all I have to do is watch an episode of Hercule Poirot to see Art Deco style in England. His character was a huge fan of Art Deco. His furniture, housewares & buildings he’d visit. Beautiful Art Deco.
If only all old houses could have stewards like you! Art Deco across the pond is truly amazing; many American examples seem timid in comparison. For the purpose of this blog I tend to stick to American houses and other structures, but may include a European staircase styled in the Art Deco manner to round out this particular examination of newel post evolution. The best ones seem to be in public buildings rather than houses. Glad you enjoy the inclusion of your foyer!
We just completely erased Art Deco?
They didn’t have stairs in the Art Deco design?
Art Deco certainly deserves some attention! I noted in the text that “for the sake of brevity, more obscure styles have been omitted.” Relatively few houses were built in the Art Deco style and I ran across no examples when creating this post. But, I agree; Art Deco should be represented.
If you know of a good example of an Art Deco newel post, please send me a link and I’ll add the style to this list. It will take longer if I have to find one on my own!