The houses in Harvard and Yale were primarly characterized in Colonial, Victorian, and Period Revival architectual styles. While you can pick out houses that feature a single theme or style, many of the houses held multiple individual characteristics that can be held under different architectual styles. For example, many of the houses had Colonial columns, geometric patterns, wider mass, and brickwork, while having Victorian multi-faceted roofing and turrets.
Most of the houses used natural color schemes and landscaping to augment the beauty and functionality of their design. Most were set back from the road. Stones were used in both the landscaping and in the house designs.
Some of the more unique designs came in the form of period revival houses. These stood out particularly in contrast with the more common red-brick and stone houses. This one in particular uses steeply pitched rooftops, a turret, arches, and European plaster give this house a fairytale appeal.
This neighborhood worked well as a whole. The natural landscapes of the front yards complemented the designs of the houses. The Wasatch mountains provide a good backdrop for the rustic, yet refined community.
Your photographs add significantly to your very detailed post. Good job identifying the key characteristics and style names. I've always thought that the Harvard Yale neighborhood feels like a unified whole--the landscaping, distinctive architecture, materials, forms and details all mesh well, creating a sense of place. You know where the neighborhood begins and ends by the continuity in architectural style and materiality. It speaks to certain social issues such as wealth and class, taste and history but also is legible as a distinctive district. The setbacks from the street, the abundance of built features with wood or stone and elements like signage or special features create a special feeling of "someplace else." You don't get the feeling that there are students living in apartments here, or a diversity of persons. Instead an overwhelming homogeneity of persons most likely own and live in these houses, persons who take care of their property and respect the common spaces they share with their neighbors.
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