Georgian Style 1770 to 1776

• Georgian architecture was a symbol of prosperity used in colony and took its inspiration from Italy. Some examples are St. Paul's Chapel on Broadway, designed by Thomas McBean.
  
  

Federal 1780 to 1820

• Inspired by Greece and Rome, the Federal style is the first proper American style. It's reflected in New York's row houses in Greenwich's West Village.
  
  

Greek Revival 1820 to 1860

• After the American Revolutionary War, builders start rejecting the English style by using Greek features for houses and commercial buildings, such as the Federal Halll. Between 1830 and 1860 a Gothic Revival period took hold in the city. Gothic was a literary and aesthetic movement in England, that in New York was translated into pointed arches and steeply pitched roof, such as the Trinity Church on Broadway.
  
  

Early Skyscrapers 1880 to 1920

• Thanks to successful experiments with cast iron, skyscrapers began to decorate New York. A good example is the Woolworth Building designed by Cass Gilbert. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, the Beaux Arts style took hold (1890 to 1920). The name derives from a French school where American architects went to study. They used Greek and Roman style to build the New York Public Library designed by Carrere and Hastings.
  
  

International Style 1920 to 1970

• The international style was known for its simplicity and functionalism in buildings such as the United Nations Headquarters, designed by Le Corbusier. Beginning in 1920, the Art Deco period took shape in New York as it did in other leading world cities. Linear, hard edge composition and stylized decoration for buildings like the Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building were representative of the style.
  
  

Postmodern 1975 - present

• New York's post-modern period, circa 1975 and beyond reintroduced historical features and classical details in buildings such as the Morgan Bank headquarters.