Hello!
We are going to see now the American Architecture
in the 19th
and 20th
century. In the USA there are many amazing
skyscrapers that are famous around the world, but we think it is
important to see first the beginnings of the architecture itself to
understand how it changed and how it got to be like that in those
centuries. Then, we are naming and showing examples of authors and
their different styles.
Pre-Colonial
Era (? - 1607)
The
architecture started in the pre-Colonial period, with the Inca and
the Mayan architecture, who build their structures with shaped stones
in geometrical forms. Then, it started the Colonial period that was
influenced by every country that arrived there from all over the
world so depending on the country, they had different styles.
Colonial
Era (1607 - 1830)
In
this century, we can perceive a few main styles, all coming from the
colonizers countries and used in the houses: the Spanish Colonial in
the North of America, using rocks, adobe and bricks to build low
houses; the German Colonial that used local materials to copy their
national style (walls of sandstone and stoned arches); the Dutch
Colonial near the Hudson river and in New York city with chimneys on
both sides. Also the Georgian with big symmetrical houses and many
windows; the French with columns, galleries and no hallways; the
Federal House Style with oval romos; the Colonial Revival style that
returned to the classical style and, finally, the Neo-Colonial Style mixing
classical and modern style.
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| Spanish Colonial Style House |
 |
| French Colonial Style House |
Federal
Age (1789 - 1865)
These
buildings predominated the period of time from the creation of the US
Constitution to the start of the Civil War and they were very popular
especially in New England. The styles of this era reflected the
optimism of a growing nation through the harmony and they are:
- The Adam style (named like this for the British architect Robert Adam) with cornices with tooth-like dentils, an elliptical fanlight over the front with side lights and decorative crowns.
- The Greek Revival Style that was the first style that actually emerged on the country and it was used in public or commercial buildings and also houses.
- The Antebellum Style is based on pre-Civil War houses in a huge scale showing the importance and prestige of Southern landowners at that time through distinction.
- The Federal Hardware style including many features of this material and built-in closets.
- The Adam style (named like this for the British architect Robert Adam) with cornices with tooth-like dentils, an elliptical fanlight over the front with side lights and decorative crowns.
- The Greek Revival Style that was the first style that actually emerged on the country and it was used in public or commercial buildings and also houses.
- The Antebellum Style is based on pre-Civil War houses in a huge scale showing the importance and prestige of Southern landowners at that time through distinction.
- The Federal Hardware style including many features of this material and built-in closets.
 |
| Adam-Federal Home Style House |
 |
| Greek Revival Style (U.S Custom House, New York) |
 | |
| Antebellum Style House |
Victorian
Age (1837-1914)
In
this era was reflected the Industrial Revolution through asymmetrical
shapes using new materials and technologies. There are many styles in
this period of time:
- The Gothic Revival Style that copied the ideas from Western Europe and mixed them with medieval forms, adding colour and textures.
- The Italianate Style with the influence of the Federal era, a bit of the Roman architecture and a lot of decoration.
- The Second Empire Style thought mostly for urban constructions based on Paris buildings during the time of Napoleon III with rectangular or square forms and with two entry doors.
- The Stick or Eastlake Style (for the English designer Charles Eastlake) common in California using wood and geometrical simple forms, the Shingle Style is simple with wooden manufactured items
- The Folk Victorian Style that surged from the working class building their own houses with local materials and creative decoration
- The Queen Anne Style based on the ideas of the English architect Richard Norman Shawn with royal image thanks to the towers and the rounded porches that shows a notable greatness
- The Richardsonian Romanesque Style (named like this for the architect Henry Hobson Richardson) using stone to create small castles, mostly to build public buildings, but also sometimes private homes
- The Glided Age/Beaux Arts/American Renaissance Style based on the palaces of Europe with stone walls, large arched windows, porches, entries, paired columns and stone sculptures
- The Octagon Style (rare) named like this for his eight-sided houses to give more light and ventilation
- The Victorian Hardware Style with items in brass and bronze, electrical switches and doorbells.
- The Gothic Revival Style that copied the ideas from Western Europe and mixed them with medieval forms, adding colour and textures.
- The Italianate Style with the influence of the Federal era, a bit of the Roman architecture and a lot of decoration.
- The Second Empire Style thought mostly for urban constructions based on Paris buildings during the time of Napoleon III with rectangular or square forms and with two entry doors.
- The Stick or Eastlake Style (for the English designer Charles Eastlake) common in California using wood and geometrical simple forms, the Shingle Style is simple with wooden manufactured items
- The Folk Victorian Style that surged from the working class building their own houses with local materials and creative decoration
- The Queen Anne Style based on the ideas of the English architect Richard Norman Shawn with royal image thanks to the towers and the rounded porches that shows a notable greatness
- The Richardsonian Romanesque Style (named like this for the architect Henry Hobson Richardson) using stone to create small castles, mostly to build public buildings, but also sometimes private homes
- The Glided Age/Beaux Arts/American Renaissance Style based on the palaces of Europe with stone walls, large arched windows, porches, entries, paired columns and stone sculptures
- The Octagon Style (rare) named like this for his eight-sided houses to give more light and ventilation
- The Victorian Hardware Style with items in brass and bronze, electrical switches and doorbells.
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| Gothic Revival Style (Woolwoth Building, New York) |
 |
| Italianate Style House (Rinckel Mansion, Nevada) |
Characteristics of a Victorian Gothic Home
Here
finishes this post, but there are a couple of periods of style left
that we are going to see in a future publication (Arts & Crafts
and Modernism). We hope you like it and enjoy all of it!
● BIBLIOGRAPHY
● PICTURES
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