The style is defined mostly by decorative detailing. It is a transitional style which bridges the Gothic Revival with the subsequent Queen Anne. The style integrates the decorative elements into the wall surfaces as opposed to applied ornamentation. Noted for its efforts to honestly express the underlying structural elements the details are in fact, surface decorations. Identifying features include decorative trusses in the gable ends; overhanging eaves; siding applied in various patterns and directions, and; corner boards. As a popular style, the details were often applied to preexisting farmhouses and do not represent high-style examples.