"Colors of Old West buildings" Topic

i think that one area that many players make assumptions rather than do research is on the colors for our buildings in an Old West town.

I dug out at the local library and city hall, material from the centennial event a number of years ago (DeSoto came through here during his travels when the town was called Kosa. ) so we have had festivals for many years.

Anyway the description of the building colors were incredible for the post Civil War era. The rich showed their wealth through paint of bright colors. The bankers house was yellow with blue trim. Another house was green with light blue trim. Reds, blues, white were all common. White wash was especially popular from the ACW through WW2 for poor and lower middle class homes.

I came across similar facts in my research over the years. One thing to keep in mind is that the bright colors were more common in more established towns. Bright colors tended to decorate saloons, hotels and gambling houses even in newly established towns (they would draw in cowpokes and ranch hands with their bright colors that promised a night of decadence).

But, overall, you are correct. Paint protects the wood and clearly announces who is prosperous and who is not.

When it comes to gaming, though, I do tend to stick to more neutral browns when I paint my buildings. Too much color on the table is distracting. But that doesn't stop me from adding a bright yellow hotel or a tan house with nice blue trim. I also like painting the front of the building and keeping the sides and back brown. It helps add variety to the town.

When I paint my old west towns, I tend to think more in terms of "set design" than historical accuracy.

I think that there is a line between History and Hollywood. Since I play for entertainment I tend to slip to the Hollywood side of design.