Greek Revival Home Architecture

Greek Revival Home Architecture — Around 600 BC, Greek geniuses created architectural elements that eventually gave birth to Greek architecture.

The era was long forgotten up until sometime in the 1820s when it appeared in America and rapidly gained momentum in 1830’s and 1840’s. At that time, America sought fresh appeal in structures, society, and arts, and found inspiration in ancient Greece. America felt strong inspiration, and around the same time, American democracy emerged after winning the long struggle against British colonization. Both the land and population seemed to be expanding. A few thousand miles away, Greece was undergoing a revolution in itself.

Architectural enthusiasts traveling far will always notice one key feature in Greek Revival homes. Builders often base the structure on this feature. Palatial-scale homes especially show clear architectural influence from The Parthenon.

Key elements:

Since the Parthenon was famous for its tall columns and pediments, it came as no surprise when Greek revival homes made sure to include these two defining features in any manner possible, since the style was incomplete otherwise.
The building material in Greece was stone. However, since timber was the common construction material in America, the solution to appear similar was painted plaster exterior over the wooden walls. Such technique took care of materialising the stone finish illusion.
The transom now sat horizontally over the front door. It was a marked change from the earlier fanlight type positioning of transom in Federal homes.
Simple but Bold mouldings outlined the interior and exterior structural components of the house. It sat perfectly synchronised to the true Classic Greek architecture.
The wealthier the resident, the flashier the embellishment. Expensive adornments like framed Dormer windows on the upper story, complete with the grandeur of pilasters and pediments, were incorporated to the maximum level the budget could permit.