Architecture of the United States

The architecture of the United States demonstrates a broad variety of architectural styles and built forms over the country's history of nearly three centuries. Architecture in the United States is as varied as its multicultural civilization and has be shaped by many internal and external factors and regional distinctions.

Pre Columbian History

The oldest existing structures on the territory that is now known as the United States were made by the Ancient Pueblo People of the four corners region. TheTiwa speaking people have inhabited Taos Pueblo continuously meant for over 1000 years. The related Chacoan civilization builds extensive public architecture in northwestern New Mexico from CE 700 - 1250 until drought forced them to relocate. Another interrelated people, now best known through the Cliff Palace and nearest structures in Mesa Verde National Park, created distinguishing cliff dwellings in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona from the 12th through to the 14th century.

 

Other Native American architecture is known from traditional structures, such as long houses, wigwams, tipis andhogans. Images by Theodor de Bry of local Algonquian villages Pomeiooc and Secoton in what in a while become coastalNorth Carolina survive from the late 16th century. Artist and cartographer John White stayed at the short-livedRoanoke settlement for 13 months and recorded over 70 watercolor images of native people, plants, and animals.