The Italianate style developed in England out of the picturesque movement of the 1840s - a rebellion against the formal classical styles that had dominated art and architecture for the previous 200 years. A reinterpretation of Italian Renaissance country villas, Italianate style in England led to houses that were always of a similar design. When it moved to the United States, however, Italianate was reinterpreted again and became an indigenous style.
In the late 1860s, Italianate edged ahead of Greek revival to become the most popular house style in the United States, for two main reasons:

1. A vernacular style of architecture, Italianate was suitable for many different building materials and budgets.

2. The development of cast-iron and press-metal technology made producing decorative elements like the brackets and cornices more efficient.

Italianate, also known as Tuscan and Lombard remained the most popular house style in the US until the 1870s, as well as a common style for the construction of other buildings like barns, town halls, and libraries. Italianate houses are common everywhere in the US except the Deep South, since their popularity was greatest during the economic devastation of the Civil War. In the late 1870s, Italianate style's popularity fell in favor of Late Victorian styles like Queen Anne and Colonial Revival.