Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-07-15
american Architecture.

WHEN man in this country wants TO
build house." said gentleman to us. re-
Gently, he Immediately copies what his
neighbor has done and sets duplicate of
somebody else's residence upon his
grounds" Now, this utterance is thor
oughly In accord with the sort of criticism
upon American matters that is specially
prevalent among vould-be wise Ameri-
cans. 1t illustrates a trait Of national de-
preciation very common among US, and
also notably illustrates kind of ignorance
that exists among is. The truth is that, of
all countries in the world, the remark We
have quoted is least applicable to the
United States. We do not deny that the
spirit Of imitation is rank here; we are
quite willing to admit that architecture,
with us, like many other things, has its
close followers Of established forms; but.
nevertheless, instead Of there being less
originality here than elsewhere, there is
decidedly more. Considering this subject
comparatively only-not as to what ought
to be, but as to what's, in comparison with
other cOuntries-it happens to be peculiar
ly true that America is the only place
where every man designing to build a
house does not simply reproduce the de-
vices Of his neighbors. Every country in
the world has certain definite and limited
forms of architecture, and almost every era
has had its prevailing fashion. Usually, a
man no more attempts to build himself a
house that shall be entirely different from
those Of his neighbors than to fashion for
himself s coat that shall be wholly dissim-
liar from the coats worn by his peers. This
is specially true Of European peoples
And, just as convention abroad is more
rigidly observed in manners and dress than
it is with US, so also in architecture the
established style is more authoritative
there than here. In Paris there is pretty
nearly but one style Of house for all
purposes; the difference between the
structures on the bOulevQrds, which are
partially devoted to trade, and the strictly
private residences is not very marked, be-
ing principally a matter Of detail on the
ground floor. In London the styie is very
uniform; there, as elsewhere, the different
styles being exhibitions of the fashions of
successive periods. There is little or no
variety in Belgravia, but in the new struct-
uTes in other portions Of the city there is
shown freshness of design but the new
style has its uniformity just as the old has
We believe, however, that we have men
toned all this in earlier numbers of the
Journal; our purpose now in reasSerting
these facts is to illustrate the peculiar in
justice we are continually doing ourselves
by repeating criticisms and accusations
that are simply echoes Of opinions origi
mating in some splenetic motive and which
are wholly unsupported by the facts.
There is so much in America amenable to
criticism and judgment that we are guilty
Of very bad economy in expanding our
censure upon imaginary evils. AS to our
domestic architecture we can assure both
our friends and enemies that we have very
many faults to answer for in this direction;
but these faults arise from our zeal, our
activity, our Impotence under authority,
our Over-eag erness to do new and notable
things, and not ordinarily from seryility
or iIertness.-AppletonS' Journal.