Tudor architecture originated in England and Wales during the Tudor period spanning from the late 15th century to the early 17th century and made its way to the United States in the 1900s.

Because of the expensive building materials used, Tudor homes originally typically populated wealthy neighborhoods and earned the nickname “stockbroker” Tudors. Emerging as a popular style in the roaring 1920s, Tudor exteriors feature facades dominated by one or more steeply pitched cross gables, timbering on bay windows and upper floors, patterned brick and stone walls, multi-paned leaded-glass casement windows, and large brick and stone chimneys. The inside of Tudor homes showcase a similar mix of materials, including stucco and brick walls, as well as arched doorways, decorative moldings, and hardwood flooring. The floor plans are asymmetrical with rooms of various sizes and ceilings of mixed heights. From the heave slate roofs to the textured plastered walls to the expert masonry stonework, the emphasis on expensive, permanent materials meant that Tudors were built by or for the wealthy.

By the end of World War II in 1945, Tudors lost popularity as many Americans struggled with finances and needed cost-effective housing.
Tudors in the United States are often referred to as Tudor Revivals, storybook homes, English cottage Tudors, and picturesque cottages.