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GREEK REVIVAL: Authentic American Style

The interest in classical architectural elements that germinated during the Federal period developed well into the 1800s. But, beginning about 1820, the focus shifted from Roman classicism to Greek.

Archeological discoveries in the Mediterranean region in the late 18th and early 19th centuries generated interest in ancient Greece. And Greece’s involvement in its own war for independence (1821-1830) aroused sympathy among Americans.

The War of 1812 cemented the division between America and England and promoted the creation of a distinctly American architectural style rather than copycat versions of British architecture. So Americans seized upon Greek Revival style, which became so popular that it has been called the first truly national style of architecture. Found in all regions of the country, it is adaptable to all types of buildings, great and small. It remained in favor through the mid-1800s.

In the minds of Americans of the time, the style reflected intellectuality, prosperity and stability, making it popular among sea captains. Many of the sea captains’ homes on Cape Cod are examples of Greek Revival architecture, as a stroll along Captains’ Mile along Route 6A in Yarmouthport reveals. The circa 1840 Captain Bangs Hallet House on Strawberry Lane in Yarmouthport, maintained as a museum by the Historical Society of Old Yarmouth, is an example of Greek Revival architecture open to the public.

Greek Revival architecture does not replicate Greek architecture; rather, it uses decorative elements of Greek architecture in new ways. For the first time, the focus shifted from the long side of the house to the short, gabled end to mimic the look of an ancient Greek temple. Pilasters or wide columns supporting a triangular pediment and flat band under the eaves further suggest the lines of a Greek temple. Painting the building white recalls ancient Greek ruins.

A recessed doorway replaced the fanlights and other elaborate details of the Federal doorway. Generally, a large four-panel door graced the entry, framed by narrow, floor-length sidelights and a transom. Flat pilasters and an architrave—an unadorned lintel (or beam) resting on columns—usually flanked the doorway.

Double-hung windows with six over six panes remained the standard, but the windows became large and elongated.

A gable roof of medium pitch was most common in this period. Clapboard siding, painted white, was generally used on Greek Revival buildings. The chimney, centerpiece of Early American architecture, became small and insignificant.

Important architects of the Greek Revival period include Asher Benjamin, Benjamin Henry Latrobe and William Strickland. Of the three, ironically the British-born Latrobe is credited with being the first true Greek Revival architect in America. He designed the National Statuary Hall, the old Senate Chamber and the Old Supreme Court Chamber in the U.S. Capitol.

Sources: Boston College, College of the Holy Cross and Salem Massachusetts City Guide