One may often admire old buildings but be unable to identify the style or the terms for specific architectural details. The purpose of this brief guide is to increase one’s familiarty with the main stylistic traditions in Brookline Village. The dates for the styles provide a range, suggesting the years when each experienced its greatest popularity.

Do not expect buildings in the Brookline Village area to exhibit all or only those features delineated in the sketches. As one becomes familiar with each style, one will also observe the varied stylistic interpretations and the frequent overlapping of styles. As a result, many buildings defy labels. Rather they often represent transitional periods when one style was blending into another. Or they may exhibit the conscious combination of unrelated stylistic elements, occasionally the product of pure whimsy or eccentricity.