If you live in the Seacoast of New Hampshire or Massachusetts a residential starter
home that is not uncommon to find in older housing development is the Split-Level home.
Dover, Durham, and Portsmouth have numerous older developments with this style
architecture and most of these homes are over fifty years old. Overall, this style
home began its popularity in the mid to late 1950’s and stopped being mass built by the
late 1970’s.
The Split-Level home is essentially a multi-level ranch that maintains its horizontal
dominance, low pitched roof lines with large overhangs. The Split-Level home was the
counter to the dominant Ranch style home being built in the same era and had a lot of
popularity in the Northeast and Midwest.
Unlike a ranch home, the Split-Level home are generally compact residences that
combine four-integral separate spaces, which include a drive-in garage, a Rec room in the
basement, living room- kitchen on the second floor, and a private hallway with bedrooms,
which is generally on the second floor.
The Split-Level home is classified as “Modern architecture”, which began in the US
in the late 1930’s and is still present in today’s architecture. There is not one person or
building company credited with creating the first Split-Level home architectural style.
Over the years I have worked in numerous Split-Level homes and most of the
people that I have worked for were either single-professionals or empty nesters. The
common negative traits most of them shared were poor ventilation, inadequate roofing-
framing and substrate, poor natural light, textured ceilings, and the lack of general
upgrades to the residence.
Please consider American Building & Design for your next remodeling project