Do you think your home or a building you admire might be an example of Greek Revival architecture? Follow these easy steps to identify this popular style.
Difficulty: N/A
Time Required: A speedy, 10-minute checklist
Here's How:
- Consider the age of the building. Was it built in the 1800s?
- Examine the shape of the building. Is it symmetrical?
- Check for a "pediment." Do you see a low-pitched triangular gable at the front of the building?
- Study the eaves. Do you see a cornice (a heavy molding) just below the edge of the roof?
- Now look below the cornice molding. Do you see another molding which forms a wide, plain band?
- Check for other decorative details. Do you see pilasters -- flat, rectangular supports which resemble columns and which protrude only slightly from the wall?
- Examine the entryway. Is there a porch? Does it have columns?
- Examine the front door. Is it surrounded by narrow windows?
- Count your yeses. The more times you answered yes, the more Greek Revival features exist.
Tips:
- A Greek Revival building may have columns or pilasters, but not usually both.
- Greek Revival architecture is found in public buildings worldwide. It became the most common housing style in the United States.
- Front-gable design -- a trademark of the Greek Revival style -- continued to influence housing design well into the 20th century.
