Greek Revival architecture
Greek Revival architecture, prominent from the 1820s to 1860s, is a distinctive style influenced by ancient Greek structures, particularly temples. This architectural movement gained substantial traction in the United States and Western Europe, fueled by a growing fascination with classical antiquity stemming from archaeological discoveries. In the U.S., Greek Revivalism was linked to the nation's identity, with its founders seeking to align themselves with the democratic ideals of ancient Greece, especially following events like the War of 1812, which diminished the appeal of British architectural styles.
Characterized by features such as large columns and pediments reminiscent of Greek temples, buildings were often constructed from wood or stone, with wood versions frequently painted white to mimic marble. The style is exemplified in notable structures like the Second Bank of the United States and the British Museum. While it reached its peak in the northeastern U.S., the movement also influenced the westward expansion, as settlers brought the aesthetic to new communities. Over time, as architectural trends shifted towards Gothic and Italianate styles, Greek Revivalism began to decline. Nevertheless, many of its buildings are preserved today as significant historical landmarks.
Greek Revival architecture
Greek Revival architecture (or the National style, as it was often called in the United States) describes a style of architecture favored in the nineteenth century that was inspired by the buildings of ancient Greece. It was particularly fashionable in the United States and western Europe between 1820 and 1860. In the eighteenth century, archaeological discoveries in Italy and Greece helped spur greater popular interest in the cultures of antiquity. This in turn led to an appropriation of such classical styles as Roman and Greek architecture. In the United States, the fascination with Greek architecture in particular was assisted by the new nation's self-identified links to the origins of democracy in the classical era.
Many examples of Greek Revivalism remain in the United States and Europe. The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin (1793), the Second Bank of the United States in Philadelphia (1824), and the British Museum in London (1847) are all iconic examples of Greek Revivalism. In the United States, the popularity of this architectural style coincided with a major phase of construction in civil and federal buildings, and the identifying features of these buildings are often linked to large-scale public works such as libraries and courthouses. Many Greek Revival homes and buildings such as the Andalusia estate (1806) in Pennsylvania are listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States.
Brief History
In the mid-eighteenth century, most Europeans and Americans had only limited knowledge of the classical civilizations of antiquity. During this era, however, tourists increasingly were able to visit sites such as the Acropolis and the Parthenon in Greece, while the removal of the Greek Elgin Marbles to the British Museum led to increased social interest in classical civilizations at home.
In 1751, British architects James Stuart and Nicholas Revett were inspired by their visit to Greece to write the best-selling Antiquities of Athens (1762). This book helped to promote the ideals of classical architecture for a broad readership for the first time. Upon his return to England, Stuart decided to use some of the classical aesthetics of antiquity in his own designs. The first known example of Greek Revival architecture was a garden temple designed by Stuart that was constructed in Hagley, England, in 1758.
Before the broader rise of Greek-oriented aesthetics, Roman models were the first beneficiaries of architecture's promotion of classical designs. In the United States, many examples of this Classical Revival (or Neoclassical) style were built in the southern regions of the East Coast, particularly in the Virginia area. These buildings were often described as being of Federal design in the United States. Thomas Jefferson's Monticello home is perhaps the best-known example of this architectural approach. Jefferson chose to emulate Roman design as a symbol of resistance. His classical tastes were born of his dislike for the English-style homes constructed at nearby Williamsburg and their associations with British influence. Jefferson believed that Monticello's Romanesque design represented a link to the great democracies of antiquity.
By the turn of the century, Greek Revivalism began to supersede Romanesque designs throughout England and the rest of Europe. It culminated in popularity in England between 1825 and 1855. However, this design aesthetic saw its greatest favor in the United States, where the growth of Greek Revivalism was born as much from political fervor as stylistic design. For instance, as with the Federal style, the young American nation sought to more closely align itself spiritually with what it perceived to be the great Greek democracy of antiquity. Other political underpinnings led to the rise of Greek Revivalism as well. The War of 1812, in which American forces were pitted against British adversaries, reduced American regard for British-influenced styles, while Greece's own war of independence from Turkey was broadly supported in the United States.
This new style first gained favor in the Philadelphia area. The design favored by Americans particularly used Greek temples for its inspiration, and architects copied the tall columns and fronts of these classical buildings. As the country expanded westward, settlers took this style with them. During this period of broad construction, many Western communities' first buildings often tapped into the spirit of Greek Revivalism. American architects such as Benjamin Latrobe, Robert Mills, Ithiel Town, and Thomas U. Walter became known for their embrace of this fashionable style. Its popularity was so great that the term Greek Revival was superseded by a new name in the United States: the National style.
Greek Revivalism saw its greatest support in the northeastern states. Communities such as New Haven, Connecticut, and New Bedford, Massachusetts, built entire neighborhoods using Greek Revivalist designs. However, as with every trend, Greek Revivalism saw its fortunes decline in favor. By the Civil War era, architects began to favor Gothic, Italianate, and Beaux-Arts forms of architecture that were popular in Europe.
Characteristics
Buildings constructed in the Greek Revival style share distinctive characteristics. In the United States, the "temple" design—that is, buildings that were intended to resemble Greek temples such as the Parthenon—were most popular. Greek Revival homes were traditionally built from either stone or wood. Wood homes, which were far more common, were covered with plaster and painted white to resemble the white marble finish of buildings from Greek antiquity. Many examples, despite their lavish inspirations, were simple, inexpensive rectangular buildings with pilaster columns, a type of design element where a raised surface extending from the wall gives the appearance of a supporting column.
Greek Revival buildings often feature large gables that are situated between the edges of a low-pitched roof facing outward from the front of the building, or a hipped roof where all four sides slope down from a central point. Gables are a triangular-shaped feature formed by the edges of the roof coming down on either side, while the pitch of the roof indicates its comparative steepness. A low-pitched roof is relatively flat. The roofs of these buildings therefore tend to form wide gables called pediments. Many civic buildings used these spaces to display ornate reliefs or friezes with statues sometimes placed atop the peak. In private homes, these pediments were left unadorned. Supporting this front gable was a series of columns of Doric, Corinthian, or Ionian design. Doric columns were most favored in homes.
The entranceway often featured a transom, which is a horizontal beam placed atop the doorway that often extends outward. Beneath the transom was often a series of small, rectangular glass panels that collectively formed a single framed window above the door. A portico or porch might also be placed in the front of the home.
Bibliography
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Fricker, Jonathan, and Donna Fricker. "The Greek Revival Style." Louisiana Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Feb. 2010, www.crt.state.la.us/Assets/OCD/hp/nationalregister/historic‗contexts/greekrevivalrevised.pdf. Accessed 27 June 2017.
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McAlester, Virginia Savage. "Greek Revival." A Field Guide to American Houses: The Definitive Guide to Identifying and Understanding America's Domestic Architecture. Knopf, 2015, pp. 247–65.
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