America's earliest ranch dwellings appeared during the Spanish Colonial period beginning in the 1820s. Those buildings, made of adobe, were low to the ground, horizontal in feel, and practical in every sense. Once westward expansion made sawmills commonplace, board and batten techniques replaced adobe.

Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural explorations-his Prairie houses of the early 1900s and the Usonian homes of the 1930s to 1950s-fostered a residential revolution that enabled the Ranch as we know it to be born. Wright's work abandoned historical reference, simplified rooflines, and consciously opened interiors to light and view. Floor plans featured specific living zones: sleeping areas on one side, active living areas on the opposite side, with kitchen and dining room as a buffer in between.

The houses’ uniquely American heritage, being an indigenous design, has furthered interest as well. The houses simplicity and unpretentious nature, in marked contrast to the more dramatic and formal nature of neo–eclectic houses, makes them appealing for some buyers who are looking for something different. The more unique ranch houses, such as modernist Eichlers or Cliff May designs, as well as custom homes with a full complement of the style's features, are in particular demand in many markets. Many neighborhoods featuring ranch-style houses are now well–established, with large trees and often with owner modifications that give these sometimes redundant styles significant character

Distinctive Features:

• Single story
• Low–pitched roof: hipped, cross–gabled, or side–gabled, sometimes with deep eaves
• Asymmetrical rectangular, L-shaped, or U-shaped design
• Vaulted ceilings with exposed beams
• An integral garage
• Rectangular, L– or U–shaped floor plan
• Rooms frequently open to one another and to private courtyards, patios, or porches

Ranch homes can be clad in brick, stone, stucco, or wood siding depending on local climate, material availability, and personal preference. Exteriors also might mix materials, including vast expanses of floor-to-ceiling glass in the more elaborate schemes.