12 Section 1 Architectural Drafting Fundamentals
columns. The columns often dominated the
facade of the building, giving it the look of a
Greek temple. Another common feature was a
wide band of trim separating the roofs from the
main body of the house, porches, and entrances.
Other features included a low-pitched gabled or
hip roof, symmetrical window placement, a front
door surrounded by sidelights and a transom,
and decorative window crowns and door pedi-
ments with Greek designs such as egg-and-dart,
Greek key and fret, knotted rope, and honey-
suckle leaf. See Figure 1-13.
Gothic Revival
The Gothic Revival style fi rst appeared in
England in the mid-1700s. Andrew Jackson
Davis, an American architect, introduced Gothic
Revival to the United States in 1832. Gothic
Revival was widely used on public buildings
such as churches, universities, and prisons, but
houses also adopted some of its elements.
Romantic Styles
After the War of 1812, growing bitterness
against England pushed America away from
England’s traditional ways. The new social
movement of Romanticism began to spread
throughout Europe and into the United States.
Romanticism was a revolt against the Enlight-
enment movement. Enlightenment, also called
the Age of Reason, was a social movement that
challenged the role of religion and emphasized
the ability of humans to reason and change soci-
ety. In Romanticism, the focus was on nature,
antiquity (ancient times), emotion, individuality,
democracy, and art. The main Romantic archi-
tectural styles in the United States were Greek
Revival, Gothic Revival, and Italianate.
Greek Revival
The main feature of the Greek Revival style
was a covered entry or porch with classical
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Figure 1-12. Notice the semicircular fanlight above the front door of this Federal style home.
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