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The research paper talks about how The United States Of America after independence develops its unique style in architecture and its corresponding characteristics. Focusing on the first development in architecture in independent America i.e. Federal architecture, the paper primarily explains residential units.
The paper starts with a brief explanation of the American Revolution, its politics, the social impact and the Federal party. Next, the cause and need and origin of a new architecture is explained. Focus is given to influential beings like Robert Adam and Thomas Jefferson and their contributions have been explained. Before finally explaining the characteristics of this architecture in detail and the places it can be found, a short comparison between Georgian and Federal architecture is discussed.
The American Revolution was a political upheaval, 1765–1783, as the Thirteen American Colonies broke from the British Empire and formed an independent nation, on the 4th of July 1776 – The United States of America. This event gave rise to the Federal era of the country, a time period in American history from roughly 1789-1801 when the Federalist Party was dominant in American politics. This period saw the adoption of the United States Constitution and the expansion of the federal government. In addition, the era saw the growth of a strong nationalistic government under the control of the Federalist Party. The Federalist Party was the first American political party, from the early 1790s to 1816, the era of the First Party System, with remnants lasting into the 1820s. The Federalists controlled the federal government until 1801. The party was formed by Alexander Hamilton, and between 1789–1797 it was built mainly with the support of bankers and businessmen. (Countryman, 2003) The new nation’s leaders believed they would lead the world into progress. From a period of tradition, irrationality, superstition, and tyranny they believed that society would be improved by reason, logic and freedom of religion. Science, study and nationality became important to the developing states. (BAILYN, 1992)
Social Impact of the revolution
Socially, three major changes took place. Of the earliest changes that started to occur was egalitarianism, which is the belief in the equality of all people. During the Revolutionary War, wealthy military men had respected and joined forces with poverty stricken men who were also fighting for the Colonists cause. After the Revolutionary War, the North had begun to free slaves by the thousands. About 20,000 slaves were freed following the war. Second was the women rights, the Revolutionary War had a major affect politically on the Colonists, mainly the women. Prior to the War they had no rights except to raise families, but they did gain little rights afterwards. Women gained the power to be able to divorce their husbands if they chose to, something they never could’ve done before. The last and perhaps the most negative change was for the Native Americans. Due to the war, more people had become settlers looking for a place to start a community. Only these places had already been developed by Native American tribes. Sadly, these communities were destroyed by the settlers. Native Americans were losing their homes and had a hard time finding peace in a new nation in which they were looked upon as evil savages. (MacLeod, April 1975)
“After America won its independence there was a strong national desire to create a distinctly American identity in architecture.”(pg89)There was a desire for comfort, quality and dignity. Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in North America between c. 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815. This style shares its name with its era, the Federal Period. In general, the term “Federal” connotes a period in American history when the Federal system of governance was being developed and honed. More specifically, Federal architecture refers to the buildings that went up during the ensuing construction boom in which designers readily incorporated styling variants popular in Europe. As a new nation wanted a new style of architecture, this was America’s first national style. Having evolved from Georgian architecture, the principal design language of the colonial period, it was the comparatively progressive European ideas about architecture that prompted this American change in architecture. (Garrett, 1995)
Different buildings of that time and their specific characteristics
With all these changes-political and social, unity of the nation was the foremost issue. New opportunities had come through the settling of the colonies and the new United States wanted to prove to the world that they were strong, intelligent, and determined as individuals, society, and state. Architecture then became a common feature that linked it all, with a new nation emerging, the constitution gave birth to new institutions which necessitated buildings and imposed the principles of national sovereignty and separation of powers, while the settling people needed homes to live in. (Eggener, 2004).The official, civil and religious architecture reflected this vision and took the Acropolis buildings as a model. The buildings of these new federal and judicial institutions adopted the classic columns, domes and pediments. Architecture embraced the optimism and boldness of the growing nation, and marked a gradual trend toward the unification of forms between the regions and people. And with this, a more harmonized pattern of national architecture was beginning to emerge. (Craig, 1984)
Influences to the architecture/ transition from Georgian to Federal
Even though the war of independence changed the political stage, contemporary English influences on architecture continued. The Federal style is often described as a refinement of Georgian style drawing on contemporary European trends, in particular the work of Robert Adam (1728-1792), who traveled to the Mediterranean to study classical Roman and Greek monuments. Using Roman architectural vocabulary, the Federal style applied to the balanced and symmetrical version of Georgian architecture that had been practiced in the American colonies new motifs of architecture. His architecture was based on first-hand observation rather than interpreted through buildings of the Italian Renaissance. Even though Adam, an owner of the largest architectural practice in Britain, defined the style for this new America, it still echoed the English styles that had dominated the landscape under British rule. This one was modeled mostly after Roman classicism. Adam had spent two years abroad studying Italian architecture and the Roman empires. He brought drawings back and published what he’d learned. He enhanced the square, angular Georgian style of England by adding swags, garlands, urns, and other delicate details inspired by the great temples of ancient Greece and Rome. Federal style hence, is also known as ‘Adam Style’.
Another name that is always mentioned with federal architecture is that of Thomas Jefferson, the man that influenced the Age of Enlightenment. He was the president of the United States between 1801 and 1809 and had many interests, one of them being architecture. He believed architecture to be an art-form and to be used in service to the New World Democracy. He contributed to the development of the Federal style and to adapting European Neoclassical Architecture to republican values born of the American Revolution. Having journeyed several times in Europe, he hoped to apply the formal rules of palladianism and of antiquity in public and private buildings. He contributed to the plans for the University of Virginia Library in 1817. The library is situated under a rotunda covered by a dome which was inspired by the Pantheon of Rome. (Garrett, 1995)
Difference between Georgian and Federal
Though Federal architecture was a modification of the earlier Georgian architecture, it’s easy to confuse Federalist architecture with the Georgian Colonial Style. However, the difference lies in the details and adornments. Federal style is a Georgian Style with Adamesque enhancements. The main identifying feature is typically the fanlight entryway with classical columns and Palladian windows. Georgian homes are square and angular; a Federal style building is more likely to have curved lines and decorative flourishes.
Characteristics of Federal Architecture (Britannica Encyclopedia, n.d.)
American touches were given which made it different and their own. Its main identifying feature is an elaborate entry way with classical detailing and commonly a Palladian window at the center of the second story.
Windows are never grouped in a Federal style house, but are arranged individually in strict horizontal and vertical symmetry. Typically, the front windows in a federal style home are five-ranked, although there are examples of three and seven-ranked windows.. Windows are almost invariably composed of double-hung wood sashes.
For the exterior, the main entry door (most decorated part of the home’s exterior )is usually centered on the front façade with a semi-circular or elliptical fanlight window above it and often flanked by leaded glass sidelights. The door is typically framed with simple pilasters and a broken triangular pediment. The entry pediment was often extended to create a porch. The porch may be rectangular or elliptical and is often supported by groupings of slender, simple Doric columns.
The use of classical elements such as columns and arches is typical of the Colonial period. The front facade is symmetrical. The area to the right of the entry was a mirror image of the area to the left. This rigid symmetry is one of the distinguishing characteristics of Georgian houses.
The interior of a typical Federal style house is a simple square or rectangular box, two or three stories high and two rooms deep with large windows and white walls and ceilings. (a)
A cornice. Federal-style homes typically emphasize the cornice (horizontal trim that marks the crown of a building element, like a wall or a window) with decorative molding, most typically toothlike dentils or blocklike projections.
Hip roofs capped by a balustrade and simple gable shapes (such as those on numerous Federal town houses in Washington, D.C.) and even roofs with a center gable crowned by a front façade pediment, are among the most popular Federal roof styles.
Some Federal styled homes have been made larger, modified with projecting wings, attached dependencies or even both. In some Federal homes and buildings, one can find an elaborate curved or polygonal floor plan such as with the Octagon House in Washington, D.C. (1799) located at 18th Street and New York Avenue NW.
(P1)(http://art-now-and-then.blogspot.in/2012/11/octagon-house.html
Federal style architecture often showcases geometrical concepts. New addition to this style were the elliptical, circular and fan-shaped motifs formed by fluted radiating lines are common decorations found in Federal style homes.
The building materials in Federal-style structures vary with location. The homes of the Northeast were typically clapboard. Southern houses were often brick, as are most of the homes in the urban north, where fireproofing was much desired.
The Oval Office at the White house and The University of Virginia offers a perfect example today of the Federal style of architecture of a room and the building. Though it’s not a house, it’s modeled after Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. He was a big fan of the Federal style and promoted it heavily.
Geographic Range
Federal architecture was a sign of urban prosperity, reflecting the growing wealth of the new nation. Examples stretch from Maine to Georgia but majority can be seen in prosperous port cities on the eastern seaboard, particularly Boston, Salem, Newburyport, and Marblehead, Massachusetts; Newport, Providence, Warren, and Bristol, Rhode Island; Portland and Wiscasset, Maine; Portsmouth, New Hampshire; and Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. (Historic New England, n.d.)
References
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://art-now-and-then.blogspot.in/2012/11/octagon-house.html
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://art-now-and-then.blogspot.in/2012/11/octagon-house.html
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://historicbuildingsct.com/?page_id=731
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asher_Benjamin,_House_Design.jpg
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asher_Benjamin,_House_Design.jpg
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.american-architecture.info/A-HIST.htm
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.historicnewengland.org/preservation/your-older-or-historic-home/architectural-style-guide
BAILYN, B. (1992). Ideological Origins of the American Revolution. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Britannica Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/203457/Federal-style
Countryman, E. (2003). The American Revolution. Macmillan.
Craig, L. A. (1984). The Federal Presence: Architecture, Politics and National Design. The MIT Press.
Eggener, K. (2004). American Architectural History: A Contemporary Reader . Psychology Press.
Garrett, W. D. (1995). Classic America: The Federal Style & Beyond. Universe Publishing.
Historic New England. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.historicnewengland.org/preservation/your-older-or-historic-home/architectural-style-guide
MacLeod, D. J. (April 1975). Slavery, Race and the American Revolution. CUP Archive.
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