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The Greek Revival house is easy to identify because of its
portico supported on four Doric columns. The off-center entrance
allows a large parlor on the right. Most Greek Revival houses
show a three-bay facade fronted by four columns, as here,
or pilasters may be used instead. The Samuel Lovett house
was built in 1852 in Douglas, MA. |
Housewrights continued to erect the same heavy timber based frame
structure that had supported houses of earlier centuries, but,
in order to affect the temple look, the house was built with the
narrower gable end to the street. This street facade is usually
three bays wide and two stories high under a pedimented gable
of shallow pitch, but four and even five bay facades are seen
occasionally. Greek Revival detailing can be found on other house
forms as well, such as the Cape Cod or traditional two story,
five bay design so frequently associated with Georgian style.
Another two story variation fronted with columns have no pediment
and a very low roof; the best examples are seen in Worcester County
and were built by Elias Carter or copied from his design and built
in the 1830s. Many of the more modest Greek Revivals will substitute
a one story porch across the facade instead of the two story columns
supporting a pediment.
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A variation of the Greek Revival design popular in central
Massachusetts substitutes a 1-story porch for full-height
columns on the primary facade, as in this example from New
Bedford, MA.
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Chimneys are narrow and plain; they are intentionally not an
important element of the design. Main facade doors often have
small paned side lights and a rectangular transom above. Windows
are six-over-six double-hung sash arranged singly, never in pairs,
and usually in plain surrounds. Most characteristic is the wide,
plain frieze boards under the eaves and cornice which also runs
in the gable. The frieze and cornice may run horizontally under
a gable forming a pediment, or be interrupted by upper-level windows,
leaving only "returns."
Applied ornament, when it is present, is drawn exclusively
from Classical sources, such as stylized acanthus leaf patterns
and egg-and-dart moldings, and confined to cornices and entrances.
Greek Revivals should be painted white or off-white uniformly,
to resemble the marble of the originals.
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Worcester's noted Greek Revival architect Elias Carter built
many large homes with Classical orders but no pediment. Most
are gone but this example, built by Carter for Charles Lee,
survives in Barre, MA. |
Much building occurred during the Greek Revival
period, caused by the industrialization, the railroad and the
opening of the West, so the style can be found in every part of
the country. Americans identified with the Greeks in their war
for independence from the Turks in the 1820s, and revered them
as the founders of democratic government, so it seemed appropriate
to adopt their architecture as our own. After Greek independence,
archaeologists and architects had access to the ruins of Athens
and other cities, and the drawings they brought back were published
in inexpensive carpenter's handbooks, which helped disseminate
the style nationally. One of the most important of these publishers
was Asher Benjamin, working out of Boston, whose handbooks went
through 14 editions from 1798 to 1854.
This style can be found in every village and town in New England,
and its white color has come to be identified with the New England
landscape.
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This long row house development was built in 1846 in Providence,
RI, in the Greek Revival style, identified by the four identical
Ionic porticos. |
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POBox
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