Is Your House Neoclassical?

Rose Hill Manor

Rose Hill Manor, also called the Woodworth House, is said to be haunted, but don't blame it on the architecture. The temple-like pediment over the entry porch gives this mansion in Texas a Classical air.

The Western world's discovery of the Roman ruins in Palmyra, Syria contributed to a newfound interest in Classical architecture — and reviving the style in 19th century architecture.

Port Arthur, Texas became an official city in 1898, and not long after that banker Rome Hatch Woodworth built this home in 1906. Woodworth also became Mayor of Port Arthur. Being in banking AND politics, Woodworth's regal home would take on the house style known for democracy and high ethical standards — Classical design in America has always had positive associations with Greek and Roman ideals. Neoclassical or the new classical design made a statement about the person who lived in it. At least that has always been the intention.

Neoclassical feature on this home include classical columns with Ionic capitals, a triangular pediment at the entrance, a balustrade along the second story porch, and dentil moldings

House Style Mixes

This house has the shape of a Victorian-era Queen Anne house, with a lovely round turret, but the portico addition is Neoclassical or Greek Revival — Ionic capitals on the first level and the Corinthian order of Classical columns on the second story of the porch. The dormer above the porch has a pediment and the dentil molding holds together the various styles.

Neoclassical in Delaware

Constructed of stone block, this Delaware home has Ionic columns, a second story balustrade, and many other Neoclassical features. Yet, isn't it really a Foursquare at its core? Look beyond Neoclassical additions, and you'll find a lovely stone house, square, with a large, beautiful dormer on each side of the hipped roof.

Neoclassical feature on this home include Classical columns with Ionic capitals and a balustrade along the porch roof. The white, decorative dentil moldings under the eaves and along the porch synthesize what might be a combination of house styles. Keep up with the owners on the Delgado-Correa Manor Facebook page.

Neoclassical Ranch

Ouch! This house is a Raised Ranch, but a zealous builder tacked on Neoclassical details. So, what style is it?

We certainly would not call this home Neoclassical, but we've included it in this photo gallery to show how builders add Classical details to contemporary homes. Neoclassical houses often have tall, two-story pillars at the entry. The triangular pediment is also a Neoclassical idea.

Unfortunately, the Neoclassical details seems out of place on this Raised Ranch style house.

Villa Rothschild

Like America's White House in Washington, D.C., this Neoclassical home has a rounded entry porch with a balustrade along the top. Villa Rothschild in Cannes is a more pure form of Neoclassicim — in 1881 it was built to be a new form of Classical architecture. The balustrade along the porch roof, the second story, and the main roof make this a regal and noble summer home in the south of France.

Celebration, Florida

Celebration, Florida is a Disneyland of house styles.

Just like Rose Hill Manor, this little house in the planned community of Celebration has a window in the pediment, above the Neoclassical columns. You can find an array of early 20th century architecture in this late 20th century housing development begun by the Disney Corporation near their Buena Vista theme parks. Neoclassical style is one of the architectural attractions in Celebration.

The Grandeur of Tall Columns

The two-story porch is a popular feature of the late 19th century homes in the Garden District of New Orleans, Louisiana. Designed for hot, wet climates, these homes have extensive porches (or "galleries") on both stories. Neoclassical homes are inspired by the architecture of ancient Greece and Rome. They often have porches with columns rising the full height of the building.

Gaineswood Plantation

Oftentimes a home doesn't start out being Neoclassical.

In 1842, Nathan Bryan Whitfield bought a little two-room cabin from George Strother Gaines in Alabama. Whitfield's cotton business thrived, which allowed him to build up the cabin in the grand style of the day, Greek Revival or Neoclassical.

From 1843 and 1861, Whitfield himself designed and built his own temple plantation using the labor of his enslaved people. Incorporating ideas he liked that he had seen in the Northeast, Whitfield envisioned massive porticos with Classical pediments, using not one, not two, but three column types — Doric, Corinthian, and Ionic columns. 

And then the Civil War started.

Gaineswood is a National Historic Landmark in Demopolis, Alabama.

Portico Giveaway

It's been said that a good entablature will give your home that Greek temple look. Just the same, a nice Classical portico, or porch entryway, can give your home a dignified look — if it's well-designed and thought-out by a professional architect. Classical detailings may not turn your home into a Neoclassic Revival, but they may turn heads with better curb appeal.

Sources

• Alabama Historical Commission. Gaineswood. www.preserveala.org/gaineswood.aspx
• Cunningham, Eleanor. Gaineswood National Historic Landmark. The Encyclopedia of Alabama. http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-3020