24/7 Wall St. Insights
- Federal architecture emerged out of the American desire to establish a cultural identity distinct from British influence.
- Some iconic Federal style buildings include the Massachusetts State House, the Octagon House in Washington, D.C., and the Hamilton Grange National Memorial in New York.
- There are over 3,400 listings categorized as Federal style in the National Register of Historic Properties today.
- The style is particularly popular in Kentucky, which is home to nine of the top 25 cities for seeing Federal architecture.
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The Federal architectural style was borne out of America’s desire to establish a cultural identity distinct from England’s. The Federal style retained the symmetry popularized by the Georgian style, but expressed restraint where the latter impressed ornamentation and grandeur. The Federal style also gave special attention to entranceways, often bedecking big, open halls with elliptical fan lights supported by slender columns.
Today, there are over 3,400 listings categorized as Federal in the National Register of Historic Properties. And while thousands more Federal buildings exist throughout the country without formal historic status, a look at NRHP listings by address reveals the best cities for seeing Federal architecture in America.
Many of the Federal capitals have nicer, older housing stock. In 18 of the 25 cities with the most Federal style properties, the median home age is older than the 45-year national median. In 18 of the 25 top cities, the median value for homes built in 1939 or earlier is greater than the median value for all homes.
To determine the best cities for Federal 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 Federal 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. Newton, MA
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 10 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 187 properties
- Median home age: 83 years
- City incorporated: 1873
- Notable Federal listings: Jackson Homestead, St. Mary’s Church and Cemetery, Ephraim Ward House, Samuel Jackson Jr. House, Railroad Hotel
24. Mobile, AL
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 10 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 128 properties
- Median home age: 51 years
- City incorporated: 1814
- Notable Federal listings: Raphael Semmes House, De Tonti Square Historic District, Oakleigh Garden Historic District, Kirkbride House, Emanuel Building
23. Washington, GA
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 11 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 24 properties
- Median home age: 50 years
- City incorporated: 1780
- Notable Federal listings: Washington-Wilkes Historical Museum, Campbell-Jordan House, Robert Toombs House, Holly Court, Poplar Corner
22. Andover, MA
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 11 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 51 properties
- Median home age: 79 years
- City incorporated: 1646
- Notable Federal listings: Benjamin Jenkins House, Chickering House, Chandler-Hidden House, Russell House, David Gray House
21. Portsmouth, NH
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 11 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 42 properties
- Median home age: 67 years
- City incorporated: 1849
- Notable Federal listings: James Neal House, Daniel Pinkham House, Nutter-Rymes House, Simeon P. Smith House, John Hart House
20. Frederick, MD
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 11 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 32 properties
- Median home age: 35 years
- City incorporated: 1816
- Notable Federal listings: Rose Hill Manor, Loats Female Orphan Asylum of Frederick City, Frederick Historic District, Guilford, Prospect Hall
19. Versailles, KY
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 12 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 40 properties
- Median home age: 45 years
- City incorporated: 1837
- Notable Federal listings: Capt. Jack Jouett House, Edgewood, Wyndehurst, Moss Side, Morgan Street Historic District
18. New Bern, NC
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 12 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 55 properties
- Median home age: 34 years
- City incorporated: 1723
- Notable Federal listings: Stevenson House, Masonic Temple and Theater, Bryan House and Office, Benjamin Smith House, William Hollister House
17. Huntsville, AL
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 12 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 76 properties
- Median home age: 41 years
- City incorporated: 1811
- Notable Federal listings: Twickenham Historic District, John Robinson House, Leech-Hauer House, Withers-Chapman House, Flint River Place
16. Cazenovia, NY
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 13 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 33 properties
- Median home age: 74 years
- City incorporated: 1810
- Notable Federal listings: Sweetland Farmhouse, Zephnia Comstock Farmhouse, Tall Pines, Niles Farmhouse, Chappell Farmhouse
15. Nicholasville, KY
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 13 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 50 properties
- Median home age: 34 years
- City incorporated: 1837
- Notable Federal listings: McClure-Shelby House, Stone House on West Hickman, McConnell-Woodson-Philips House, Joseph Chrisman House, William C. Lowry House
14. Greensburg, KY
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 14 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 27 properties
- Median home age: 56 years
- City incorporated: 1832
- Notable Federal listings: Woodward House, Mears House, David Hilliard House, Emory-Blakeman-Penick House, Francis Cowherd House
13. Reading, MA
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 14 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 90 properties
- Median home age: 66 years
- City incorporated: 1644
- Notable Federal listings: Ephraim Weston House, House at 79-81 Salem Street, House at 483 Summer Avenue, George Batchelder House, Joseph Bancroft House
12. Richmond, KY
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 14 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 51 properties
- Median home age: 30 years
- City incorporated: 1809
- Notable Federal listings: Irvinton, Judge Daniel Breck House, Duncannon, Isaac Newland House, Squire Turner House
11. Georgetown, KY
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 15 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 69 properties
- Median home age: 24 years
- City incorporated: 1847
- Notable Federal listings: John W. Bradley House, Payne-Desha House, Vivion Upshaw Brooking House, Leonidas Johnson House, Georgetown East Main Street Residential District
10. Waltham, MA
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 15 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 109 properties
- Median home age: 63 years
- City incorporated: 1884
- Notable Federal listings: The Vale, Gore Place, Phineas Lawrence House, John E. Olcott House, Leonard W. Stanley House
9. Natchez, MS
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 16 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 119 properties
- Median home age: 61 years
- City incorporated: 1803
- Notable Federal listings: John Baynton House, Routhland, Linden, Glenburnie, First Presbyterian Church of Natchez
8. Harrodsburg, KY
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 17 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 57 properties
- Median home age: 53 years
- City incorporated: 1836
- Notable Federal listings: Clay Hill, Sutfield-Thompson House, Cardwellton, James McAfee House, Shaker West Lot Farm
7. Paris, KY
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 17 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 36 properties
- Median home age: 48 years
- City incorporated: 1839
- Notable Federal listings: The Grange, Allen-Alexander House, Loudoun Hall, Sacred Home, Widow McDowell House
6. Salem, MA
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 17 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 50 properties
- Median home age: 84 years
- City incorporated: 1836
- Notable Federal listings: Hamilton Hall, Gardiner-Pingree House, Essex Institute Historic District, Old Town Hall Historic District, Chestnut Street District
5. Boston, MA
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 18 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 318 properties
- Median home age: 79 years
- City incorporated: 1822
- Notable Federal listings: David Sears House, Harrison Gray Otis House, Old West Church, African Meetinghouse, John Eliot Square District
4. Wakefield, MA
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 19 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 93 properties
- Median home age: 67 years
- City incorporated: 1812
- Notable Federal listings: Emerson-Franklin Poole House, Woodward Homestead, Suell Winn House, D. Horace Tilton House, Daniel Sweetser House
3. New York, NY
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 28 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 809 properties
- Median home age: 73 years
- City incorporated: 1652
- Notable Federal listings: Bialystoker Synagogue, James Watson House, Admiral’s House, Hamilton Fish House, Charles Street House at No. 131
2. Washington, D.C.
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 29 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 663 properties
- Median home age: 68 years
- City incorporated: N/A
- Notable Federal listings: Georgetown Historic District, Rhodes’ Tavern, Arts Club of Washington, Lafayette Square Historic District, Lenthall Houses
1. Cambridge, MA
- NRHP listings in Federal style: 32 properties
- All listings in NRHP: 212 properties
- Median home age: 78 years
- City incorporated: 1846
- Notable Federal listings: University Hall, Harvard University, Margaret Fuller House, Old Harvard Yard, Cambridge Common Historic District, Dexter Pratt House
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