Photo: Moss Hill historic home near Pine Apple, Alabama. Carol M. Highsmith Archive collection at the Library of Congress, public domain, accessed July, 2025.
The I-House [†] was most popular in the late 18th century through the mid-to-late 19th century (roughly 1780s–1880s).
After the 1880s, newer house forms (like foursquares, bungalows, and Victorian cottages) began replacing the I-House as the standard rural home.
The name came from geographers in the 1930s. An I-House is two stories tall, one room deep, and at least two rooms wide. Most have a hallway down the middle. It was often seen in Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa, but also in many other states.
The form grew from English house traditions and spread in the U.S. in the late 1700s and 1800s. It became a standard rural middle-class home. Owners often added style details like Federal, Greek Revival, or Gothic trim.
The I-House shows how simple folk homes grew into more formal styles. It reflects everyday life and rising hopes of early American families.
† Text adapted from chatgpt.com summaries.