Tudor Wins “May Madness” Bracket
The Westfield Historic Preservation Commission celebrated National Preservation Month with a playful challenge: an NCAA-style “May Madness” bracket where residents were invited to vote for their favorite architectural style. Ranging from colonial to modern, the original sixteen designs were narrowed weekly until the final match-up, when French Second Empire, a Victorian stalwart, was ultimately defeated by Tudor, the enduringly popular revival style.
It is perhaps no surprise that this charming design emerged victorious as Westfield’s favorite. Distinctive, versatile and easily recognizable, versions run the gamut from cozy cottages to grand manors. It can be seen locally from homes to apartment buildings to storefronts and looks just as good in downtown Westfield as it did in Elizabethan England. Perhaps the most popular of the period revival styles appearing from 1900 to 1940 that included Dutch Colonial, Renaissance Revival and Spanish Mission, Tudor exploded in the 1920s as the postwar nostalgia for Old World charm met the aspirational desires of the surging middle class.
The Historic Preservation Commission was established in 1984 to promote and protect Westfield’s rich architectural heritage as an essential element of the town’s unique character. In addition to preserving historic structures, the Commission encourages property owners to follow restoration standards through its advisory services, homeowner awards, and recently updated Design Guidelines for Historic Sites and Districts. For additional information, visit the commission’s website at westfieldnj.gov/historicpreservation.
