Greek Revival Arciiitecture in the Rochester Area

GREEK REVIVAL ARCIIITECTURE IN THE ROCHESTER AREA By the Same Author "COBBLESTONE ARCHITECTURE" Published 1944 The Hervey Ely House, Rochester, N. Y. GREEK REVIVAL ARCHITECTURE IN THE ROCHESTER AREA CARL F. SCHMIDT Published April 1946 Copyright 1946 by CARL F. SCHMIDT Published By CARL F. SCHMIDT Scottsville, N. Y. This Book Is Dedicated to My Mother and Father INTRODUCTION JT IS regrettable that while much has been recorded and published regarding the earlier Colonial and Georgian work of western New York State, there is no record of those later structures designed in the Greek Revival style which developed to such a high degree in the Genesee Valley, except as a very few exan1plcs appear in works which attempt to cover that period throughout the coun try. While most of the buildings followed variations of much the same pattern in that style, it did off er an infinite variety in detail, some quite heavy, made of simple lun1bcr forms, and others using cornices, trim and mouldings of great refinement and beauty. These arc days of argument and disagreement between those who advocate discarding all old and known forms and going con1plctely overboard on an uncharted sea in the design of buildings, and those who still feel that tra ditional forms must and should be studied, at least to a limited degree. The latter group insist, and logically, that one cannot. write good English prose without first learn ing the alphabet and acquiring a vocabulary and, by virtue of the same reasoning, arc of the opinion that a study of the good architecture of the past will furnish the best foundation and background for good architecture in the future. The writer feels that the men who today are doing the best modern work arc those who have been educated and trained in schools which still taught along traditional lines, and wonders, hopefully it is true, what will result when the students of schools which no longer have any contact with tradition arc turned loose to do our archi- 6 tectural work. Being a great admirer of good modern work, and re alizing what a great contribution the modern school has made, particularly in the elimination of the senseless archi tectural rubbish with which many buildings were em bellished, and tending more and more toward designing in that manner myself, I still feel that this recording of a delightful style is worthwhile and noteworthy. In those days, when this style- was prevalent, and living was leisurely and dignified, the style of houses and other buildings of the period became, naturally, unconsciously and without force, dignified and fine. I am glad that my colleague and friend has taken the time to compile this book and .know that it will prove of lasting interest to many who, like myself, feel that the past had n1uch to . off er that is good, even though our present day speeded up, automobile, airplane and machine age requires a different approach and· solution in archi tectural design. w ILLIAM G. KAELBER 7 FOREWORD JT IS impossible to tell in one volume the complete story of an architectural style that covered such a vast ex panse of territory as did the Greek Revival in America. The di.ff erences in the social life, the climatic conditions, the difficulties of travel, the intermingling of ideas, caused distinct variations in the plans, elevations, and details of this style. Therefore, it is the purpose of this book to describe the Greek Revival style in Rochester and the nearby vil lages. This book is also an attempt to make the American people realize that the architecture of the Greek Revival is one of America's contributions to the history of archi tecture and should be recognized as a distinct architectural style. If some people call the Greek Revival an imitation of the stone architecture of Greece and condemn it for that reason, they forget that the original Greek architecture was but a development of a previous wood architecture. If we take this stand we must condemn also the late Colo nial and Post-Colonial architecture· because it also was a development in wood of the stone architecture of Rome. We know that at the beginning of the Greek Revival, the architects, both in Europe and· America, copied the Classic Greek farms and details. The style rapidly pro gressed, once it achieved popularity, into new designs and details which have a classic spirit, but are entirely different from the Classic Greek. The plans of the houses and build ings which had been developed in the various localities, the climatic conditions, and the new materials which be came available were the determining factors influencing the American craftsmen who brought forth a new style. 8 It is American and possesses the qualities of good planning, intelligent use of materials, interesting compositions, and inventiveness of detail. The style suffers because of a bad name, it would be more appropriate to call it, "American Classic," because it is the classic spirit as interpreted by the American people. The more one observes the stately houses and public buildings which were built in this style, the more one be comes enthused over the harmony, dignity, and quiet beauty of the streets and villages still remaining. To imag ine what has been destroyed only leaves a deeper impres sion of its architectural significance in American Building. This book does not include all the examples of the Greek Revival in the Rochester area. "Cobblestone Architecture" describes a iocal development by the masonry craftsmen who built masonry walls of small field stones and lake washed stones in this style. Although it is a local expression of the Greek Revival, it is not include4 in this book. The various examples shown are representative of the various types, but many fine examples as well as measured drawings and sketches had to be omitted. The author hopes that some day it may be possible to publish 'a portfolio completing the architectural record of the Greek Revival builders in the Rochester area. May this book aid others in enjoying and appreciating the works of the master craftsmen of the second quarter of the Nineteenth Century. I here want to thank Amy Croughton, Anne, Lucy and Paul for their assistance and aid in correcting the manu- . script. 9 -CONTENTS Introduction by William Kaelber • • • • • • 6 Forward by Carl F. Schmidt • • • • • • • • 8 General History of the Greek Revival • • . 12 The Greek Revival in the Rochester Area • • • . 42 Entrances and Porches • • • • • • • . 5 2 Materials and Details • • • • • • • • • . 63 Interiors . • • • • • • • • • • • . 72 Mouldings • • • • • • • • • • • • . 80 Builders and The Builders Handbooks • • • . 89 Appendix • • • • • • • • • • • • . 96 Greek Revival Architecture in the Villages near . Rochester, N. Y. 142 10 North Entrance, Campbell-Whittlesey House, Rochester, N. Y. 11 GENERAL HISTORY OF THE 'GREEK REVIVAL CATTERED throughout the entire eastern half of the S United States f ron1 Portland, l\1aine, to Natchez on the i\1ississippi River, one finds churches, court houses, town halls, mansions, and farn1 houses built after Greek temple n1odels or en1bellishcd with Greek details and orna mentation. Generally a portico of two-story columns or square posts en1bellished the stre~t facade, and when finan cial or puritan dislike for ostentation made a portico im possible, pilasters or antae were used. In the sn1aller houses of the villages and outlying farn1s, · a Greek spirit was achieved by merely adapting Greek mouldings to entrances and cornices, and flattening the pitch of the roof to corres pond to the flat pitch of the roof of a Greek temple. Wood carving and ornaments made of plaster were frequently used. The egg-and-dart, the honeysuckle, and the acanthus leaf of the Greeks were favorite motifs .. This period in the history of architecture in our country extended from about 1795 to 1850 and is generally referred to as the "Greek Revival." In the opinion of the author a much more appropriate name would be "American Clas sic." The interest in Greek a~chitecture did not originate in the United States but began in Europe and made its ,vay to the United States. Son1ehow the interest in Greek farms in architecture never aroused the enthusiasm in Europe which it did in An1erica. There were buildings erected which derived their farms and details f ram the classic Greek, such as the l\1adeleine in Paris, the Glypto thek in l\1unich, and many small churches and govern ment buildings; but the people of Europe never became 12 GENERAL HISTORY interested in Greek Revival architecture. The architects of France, England, and Gcrn1any care fully studied the Classic Greek architecture and detailed the orders and mouldings with some ability, but they seemed bound by scholastic rules or traditions ~hich pre vented development in planning and new motifs in design. The Greek Revival in Europe was n1orc or less a problem in archaeology. The trained architects carefully copied the Greek orders, their intcrcolun1nination, the profiles of the n1ouldings, and the ornan1ent. The refore, good architecture in Europe was that which n1ost closely fol lowed the original Classic· Greek forms and proportions. Buildings of this type were naturally a cold inert mass because the architects lacked creative ability. They did not seen1 to be able to use the Classic Greek as a source of inspiration as did the Greek Revival architects and crafts men in An1erica. For this reason the Greek Revival work in Europe is adr-nirablc only to the extent that they were exact copies. A similar situation in the field of architecture existed in the United States during the first quarter of the Twentieth Century when architects vied with each other as to .who could n1ost accurately copy and apply the Roman orders on school buildings, churches, and office buildings.

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