used, divided by lead and then wooden muntins. Then
side lights were introduced, and the treatment became more elaborate in
the beautiful styles of the later Georgian period.

The frame about the door was at first of flat, undecorated boards, the
upper one resting on the two at the sides. Then these were molded and
mitered at the corners, and later a cap of heavier moldings was put
across the top. This hood became more and more prominent and required
the use of definite support. Console brackets were sometimes used but
more frequently flat pilasters set against the wall. These gradually
became more important, developing into the three-quarter round and
finally the isolated column. The pediment and cornice were then extended
into the open porch that is one of the splendid features of the Georgian
style. Here in cornice and capital was a field for the development of
all the most delicate and beautiful motives of classic carving.

As this door and porch was the center of the design of the exterior, the
windows were grouped symmetrically about it, the same on each side.
There were few of them at first, and they were of rather small size.
Casement windows were the earliest kind used, and the small, diamond
panes were sunk in lead, as were those made in the mother country. It is
probable that most of these windows were brought over from England and
not constructed here. After 1700, the sliding sash was introduced,
dividing the windows horizontally, and these had wooden muntins. It must
have been considered a more elegant type of window, for it was used in
the front of the house for a long time, while the leaded casement was
still put in rear windows for many years. The early wooden muntins were
quite heavy but later became nearly as delicate as the leaden ones. They
divided the sash horizontally and vertically into squares.

The window casings, like the door frames, were at first entirely plain
and then had a heavier band across the top which developed into a molded
cap or cornice, as at the entrance. When sliding sashes were introduced,
the walls of the houses were not thick enough to contain them, so the
frames and the sashes were built on to the outside, frequently
projecting quite a distance. The necessity for constructing them in this
way led to the deep jambs and sills which are such a charming
characteristic of the Colonial style.

Shutters were used on the outside of the house as a means of protection
from the Ind