An American Style?

[HomrQT]

Ok, I'd like to pick your minds again. =) There is a style of architecture that I think we've all seen countless times here in America, and I want to know more about it. The style I'm referring to is the flat buildings with a prominent crown on it and is quite possibly my favorite style of building in the US. They're all over the place, not only in the big cities like NYC, Chicago, Philly etc, but I've seen them in no where Arkansas and small town Kansas along with other small towns all over the US (though significantly more concentrated in the northeast). It seems the larger the city, then the taller the flats seem to become and New York City also likes to add the fire escape on the front of the building in many cases. I understand these are rowhouses (usually) but what is the official name of this style of architecture? What are its influences and why does it seem so eerily European? Where would be the starting point for this style in the US? And aren't those crowns just perfect on those buildings!?!?. Any other info that can be provided would be great! Thank you.

Boston

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3324/3550472888_c4a2e92c48_b.jpg

Chicago

http://www.annrossley.com/My_Pages/Chicago_Landmark_Homes.cfm

New York

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_p4RelMnB09s/TPUswweYYKI/AAAAAAAAp2M/zXMNE83XU7U/s1600/DSC_0020.JPG

Arkansas - You can see them in the distance if you squint -

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=184936

[LMich]

I think this is just the really stripped-down American take on Beaux-Arts. Try a wiki search to find out more information on it.

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ I don't know about that. There aren't very many of these in Chicago or Milwaukee. It seems to be older than the Beaux Arts period. Seems to be more along the lines of 1850 or earlier. There are two different styles you've posted. The ones in Chicago are completely different than the ones in Boston and NYC.

The ones in Chicago are indeed a Beaux Artsy take on the traditional Chicago two flat. Most two flats in Chicago are simply not decorated this way because that style was only popular in two flats before Prairie Style came around about 1900. Most two flats are not built with full party walls either and usually are stand alone. These appear to be more row homey. Anything before 1871 was either wood construction or completely destroyed by the fire. That particular classicist style didn't become popular until the 1893 World's Fair, so you are looking at a ~10 year period in which that would have been popular. Prior to the World's fair very stripped down, utilitarian architecture fine detailing was popular/necessary due to the rebuilding efforts and First Chicago School of Architecture.

Thus Chicago two flats generally don't have classical detailing and were mostly built in the Prairie Period and usually have Chicago School Bay Windows on the front:



The ones in Boston and NYC are definitely not two flats. These are some kind of colonial row home. I don't know much about colonial architecture because I'm mainly interested in Chicago architecture. I'm sure there is a very specific designation for these.

[urbanlife]

I am pretty sure they are just referred to as colonial row houses.

[Centropolis]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...rthSTL-085.jpg


http://i.ytimg.com/vi/El2hH51KqFY/hqdefault.jpg


http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mo/count...54stlouis2.jpg


http://www.builtstlouis.net/northsid..._place-608.jpg


http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarkin...7042a44825.jpg

(^originally part of a row, like those in Boston).

Here in St. Louis, I think it was originally referred to as the new or "early" American vernacular, which was imported into St. Louis from the east coast, which was replacing the frame colonial french dwellings around the time of Charles Dickens visit (1840s-1860s). They come right up to the sidewalk with zero setback/lot lines. Sometimes I wonder if the 1860s neighborhoods in St. Louis look like some of what areas of Chicago that were brick looked like before the fire.

We also have later standardized two-flats, of the chicago and st. louis school (I dont know why there are blocks in st. louis that look like they were dropped out of the sky from chicago). (photos by me)

[pj3000]

I believe that the NYC and Boston photos depict the very simple Greek Revival style with flat roofs. They look like 1840s-50s to me.

Chicago photo depicts the Italianate style of the 1860s-70s, I believe.

[Lecom]

Frank Lloyd Wright is generally credited with creating the first true American style - the Prairie School movement. That's if you don't count the Aztecs and the Mayans, whose geometric, pre-Columbian detailing greatly influenced Art Deco.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by pj3000

I believe that the NYC and Boston photos depict the very simple Greek Revival style with flat roofs. They look like 1840s-50s to me.

Chicago photo depicts the Italianate style of the 1860s-70s, I believe.

Yes, the Chicago buildings are Italianate, or possibly Queen Anne.

The Boston and New York examples are Federal.

The Arkansas example is probably best described as vernacular. It's typical of 1800s Southern brick architecture in that there are very few stone elements or wood elements on the facade. Stone would need to be imported from elsewhere, and wood would need to be cut and milled/carved - both expensive. Instead, all the ornamentation and detail is done using simple common bricks, sometimes made locally. This style is common throughout the South, but I don't think it has a name. It's absolutely beautiful, I think.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by Centropolis

Sometimes I wonder if the 1860s neighborhoods in St. Louis look like some of what areas of Chicago that were brick looked like before the fire.

I think it's more likely that the 1860s St Louis neighborhoods looked like the older neighborhoods in New Orleans do today (Faubourg Marigny, Bywater, Lower Garden District). Both cities share a common heritage and inherited traditions from the French and Spanish by way of the Caribbean.

Chicago was a pioneer frontier town settled by Americans, not by Frenchmen or Spaniards - the only influences on the early wooden architecture in Chicago were the very simple buildings of early American pioneers, and the simple buildings erected by the Army in the 1830s at Fort Dearborn.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by ardecila

The Boston and New York examples are Federal.

Not sure about that... it's confusing. Federal and Greek Revival can look quite similar as the Federal Period immediately precedes Greek Revival. Classic Federal styling of row homes generally features a slanted dormer roof. Also, true federal style ends by the 1830s. These examples in Boston and NYC look a bit later to me... in the Greek Revival period - 1850s probably.

It's a tough call and they may be a melding of both styles. I actually think the NYC especially photo depicts both styles... Greek Revival is definitely evident with the columns on the entryway on the one house.

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by ardecila

I think it's more likely that the 1860s St Louis neighborhoods looked like the older neighborhoods in New Orleans do today (Faubourg Marigny, Bywater, Lower Garden District). Both cities share a common heritage and inherited traditions from the French and Spanish by way of the Caribbean.

Chicago was a pioneer frontier town settled by Americans, not by Frenchmen or Spaniards - the only influences on the early wooden architecture in Chicago were the very simple buildings of early American pioneers, and the simple buildings erected by the Army in the 1830s at Fort Dearborn.

i was smoking crack about pre fire chicago ever looking like old st. louis, but i've seen a few drawings of mansard roofed structures of unknown material in pre fire chicago (which I know pilsen has a lot of 'sards).

I admit I tend to discount the french creole influence on the architecture in st. louis because i think sometimes its overblown. i think there was a break between the souls of st. louis and new orleans after the 1849 fire in st. louis and when mid atlantic money helped rebuild the city in brick...but i guess after a little tour on google streetview, it looks like new orleans and baltimore had a baby, i feel like it looks more baltimore - at least baltimore of a certain era echoed and multiplied to the west, most of the time... i kind of tainted the conversation, heh.

fells point, baltimore

far downriver french quarter, new orleans

soulard, st. louis

then you get stuff like this which feels ancient acadian no matter how you cut it.

soulard, st. louis