Stephanie Singer

Ms. Bell

Interior Design II

Block 3

Description of a Greek Revival

A Greek Revival is a New England and Mid-Atlantic charm that features the classic

white columns, sloping roofs and simply stately entrances. For more detail, the key elements

included tall columns and pediments, a painted plaster exterior,

molding and a lot of embellishment. It emerged in Europe and

the United States in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth

centuries. “It took elements of classical Greek architecture and

used them in a wide variety of buildings.” (Study). For

example, Americans took the inspiration from Greece and made the houses resemble the

appearance of the Pantheon.

History of a Greek Revival

After the War of 1812, the Greek Revival soared,

expanding westward into America. The time period, to be exact,

was from 1825 to 1860, right up to the Civil War. “One of the

country’s first Greek Revival buildings was the Second Bank of the United States, built in

Philadelphia between 1819 and 1824” (Wentworth). The Greek Revival came about by

stemming from Greek architecture. America took all these elements and made their own style
from the details. There are many Greek Revival examples in America, such as the White House,

the Arlington House, and many other famous plantations.

Key Design Features

A Greek Revival home includes a symmetrical shape, pilasters,

columns, a porch entry, a window in the pediment, and plain or highly

decorated cornices. The style was commonly painted white to resemble

the white marble of the more impressive public buildings. The details

could both be simple and bold. Wood, stucco, and sometimes stone, are

used frequently in the exterior of the Greek Revival. The low-pitched

gable and hip roofs were typical, and the windows were double hung,

small and rectangular. Another great opponent of a Greek Revival is

Dentil molding. Those are small edged-in patterns along the horizontal lining of

the front of the roof.

The columns are one more addition that makes a Greek Revival what it

is. The types can include, Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. A Doric column was

stouter, smoother, simpler and more plain than the others. An Ionic column can

have flared shafts at the top and bottom, and volutes, which are the distinctive

spiral whorl design. Lastly, the Corinthian column has a more complicated

design which includes a slender column and elaborate capitals decorated with

leaves and scrolls.

 Outside Influences to the Greek Revival

The Greek Revival is thought to be part of a larger group

of the Neoclassical period. It was then referred to as the “National

Style,” due to its popularity. “Inspired from Europe, by 1785,

Thomas Jefferson had designed and built the Virginia State

Capitol, considered to be the first building of a Greek Revival to

the neoclassical movement in either U.S. or Europe” (Architectural Styles). In spite of this

architecture, Jefferson viewed architecture as a support of democratic ideals. The Greek Revival

movement became widely accepted throughout the early U.S. as a symbol of the new democracy.
Works Cited

“Greek Revival, 1820-1850.” Greek Revival, 1820-1850 | Old House Web,

www.oldhouseweb.com/architecture-and-design/greek-revival-1820-1850.shtml.

“Historic Styles / Greek Revival 1825-1860.” Greek Revival Houses & Architecture Facts and

History | Guide to Architectural Styles | Home Remodeling & Architecture in Maryland

(MD), Virginia (VA), Washington, DC, 8 Feb. 2018,

www.wentworthstudio.com/historic-styles/greek-revival/.

Study.com, Study.com,

study.com/academy/lesson/greek-revival-architecture-history-characteristics.html

Hamlin, Talbot. Greek Revival Architecture in America: Being an Account of Important Trends

in American Architecture And. O.U.P., 1944. Print.

Kennedy, Roger G., and John Martin Hall. Greek Revival America. Rizzoli, 2010.