The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-05

AAlAlyy anu IOI pui-
poses the classic was found difficult
to employ, and was abandoned for the
soper Gotnlc, which in its turn disappear
ca shortly after the Civil war. Since then
the more flexible Romanesque has be-
come the ruling style is American arcTi-
lecture as much as 1t can predominant in
tHat il-oet1ned conglomeration of all ages
ana localities more precisely called archf-
lecture in America.
The all-devouring greed in this country
lor something new in architectonics mas
a powerful tendency to change the pre-
Va1lfng mode, but the adaptabillty of the
Romanesque makes it probable that 1t will
be many years before another style will
mark the era of these buildings to the
future archeologist.
The late Henry Hobson Richardson
spent his life in developing this style to
suit American tastes. A Louisianian by
birth, he studied in the United States,
and completed his training by an extern
sive survey of all types in Europe es-
pecially, devoting the best part of his
time to the consideration of the Roman
esque as it is exhibited in old Touraine
On his return to America in 1876 he re-
fused to design after any conception eX-
cept the Romanesque, and along these
lines his success was unbounded. The
Pittsburg court house and many other
Renaissance To him more than any 9TH
er man may be ascribed the introduction
of this style into America. Richardson's
influence extended far beyond he walls
of his own office, and was both stimulat-
ing and enrolling The unique position
which he created for himself has visibly
raised the standing of the architectural
profession throughout the whole country.
There- can be no American city into which
the echo of his fame and idaoc
penetrated, and wherever they are known
the chances of his humblest brother artist
are thereby improved. He was not the
hrst American to build good and beauti-
IuI structures, but he was the first to build
tnen IN way to attract the attention
CT every passerby, and 10 win always
respectful thought and almost ALWAYS gen
uine hearty admiration The man was
mace Tor the place and hour. When Rich
ardson began his work American love for
ART III construction was growing strong
out was still crude and ignorant 1t was
vague IN theory as we'll as practice. and
was not half sure of its own value as a
iactor IN national life. He was success
Iul and influential because he was so
thoroughly modern so thoroughly Amer
lcah' while his long familiarity with the
.rlulnphs OF ancient art had inspired the
pehef that what had been done couId he
oone again, and perhaps improved mon
ana ms long residence abroad had shown
mn tnat opportunities are both freest
anu Tlcnest here, and latent, if not
perfected skill, Is at least as great
" nat an architect can do in F,1rone ,s
largely controlled by the neighborhood
" historic works and by the traditions
iallns and prejudices which antio11arian
study mas developed. What he can do in
Amerlca depends upon himself and the
sympathy which he can arouse in minds
winch, If ignorant are unprecedented if
unframed are intelligent. if unconscio,Ts
OF their wants are quick to realize the
value or anything which really appeals
10 them as combination of beauty and
good sense. In Europe a much more In
telllgent effort is made to secure the hest
architectural service than has been made
IN america, but when it is secured it is
hampered in ways of which nothing is
known herein France by the ruIe of
certain official styles and formulas. in
England by the sway of changing fash
IONS, each insistent for the time being
and as quickly abandoned. and often by
the ideas of men high in political places
and everywhere by that archaeological
tendency which demands, first of all, not
that a building shall be sensible and
beautiful, but that 1t shall be scholarly:
not that 1t shall represent an artists
thought, but that 1t shall show his ac-
qua1ntance with some forerunner The
grea test difficulty with which American
architects have to contend is public in
difference, the greatest of foreign archi-
tects is that public interference 1t is
not difficult to see which is the greatest
of the two.
VIII these massive structures of marble
and granite going up all over America
endure as the masterpieces of the an
clients have lasted down through the
ages? Possibly, but no one now living
shall ever know. American construction
is not equal to theirs in several respects.
The days of the guild halls, when it was
an honor to chisel and polish and fit as
perfectly as conceivable, although the
feet during a life time, is passed forever;
ton of the contract before the time limit,
according to the specifications, and pre-
cious little is done beyond the exact
words of the contract, which is often
worded with a sharp m nd to the cost.
The relics which we now admire so
much were put together with a patience
and care undesirable today. The eli
matte conditions must be taken into con-
sderation, as the great range of temper
allure will assuredly make some differ
ence together with the great waterfall
in these regions. Nowadays whole
schemes and institutions change so rap
idly that there is possibility that some
day in the future both the new capitol
and the new postoffice will be relegated
and may be demolished to make way
for the execution of ideas as yet unborn.