The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-04-23
TRACES METHODS
OF ARCHITECTURE
FOUND In STATES
Fashion of Building Is
Popular Misinterpreta-
ton of Style.
STRESSES BUILDING
Environment Is Artistic
Stimulant Except In
America.

By popular misinterpretation,
architectural style is considered
entirely too freely as a fashion of
the decoration or establishment of
building. This misinterpretation, IL
such it is. is especially peculiar to
the American people.
1t can be easily traced. IL we will
consider our history. The first and
native art contacts of the civiliza-
ton of America were those of
Spain in the South and those OF
England In the North. The colonies
were developed by these nations in
periods contemporary with the re-
naissance in England and Spain.
The major influences, therefore,
upon the early cities of the thir-
teen colonies was that of the
eighteenth century architecture of
England. The eighteenth century
architecture of England was an ar
chitecture of decadence. a period
of Journalism, and the closing de-
velopments Of a style of building
originally brought into England as
a regal fancy.
mental Europe, in France, Italy or
Belgium. particularly. the matter of
architectural style would be
greater reality. The Romanesque.
with its striving, would tell of the
periods of national awakening. the
tradition OF early efforts of Chris
tan Europe. The Gothic would tell
Of the glorious age of the various
national and religious thought: the
early renaissance OF the ftful and
Inventive Europe: the high and la
ter renaissance of the Europe of
civil and social change and COM
mercial conquest.
Environment StimuIant.
The environment of a great arch
itecture, is a clear artistic stimu-
liant. We can view the reverse OF
this when we turn TO the America
of post-colonial days and ind the
environment to be wholly lacking
in architecture of Importance
The colonists of New England.
New York and New Jersey and Vir-
Einia and the Carolinas brought
with them from Europe the knowl-
edge OF the character Of building
prevailing in the later renaissance.
particularly the Georgian architec-
all formal renaissance styles, had
for its motifs the forms of archi-
teCtural decoration originally de-
veloped and used by Roman build
ers, but devoid Of the spirit of Ro-
man structure. It was a period of
symmetrical treatment Of relatively
simple masses developed in a for
NAL, almost grandiose manner. 1t
represented the expression of coun-
tries in the hands of luxuriant
mOnarchs, as in the case Of Louis
XIV in France and Charles OF Aus
tria. or Of merchant princes Of COM
merce. as in England.
In America the rigor Of economy
and the nature Of democratic ideas
led to a departure from the more
gallant character of the Georgian
into a period Of moderate econom-
lcal. variation Of style to simpler
materials. and to a vaster range of
climatic conditions. II we would
understand, however. this period of
architecture in America. we must
realize that the peculiar beauty
that clusters about the architecture
Of the colonies is due directly to its
close historic and actual contact
prevailing between the architecture
Of Europe and that of these Euro
pcan colonies in America
When we pass the pre-revolution
days. we come to a period Of pseu-
do-classic temple building as a for
NAL outcome Of the more intimate
and interesting Colonial architec-
ture. and this is the last expression
architecture in America We must
When we pass the prerevolution
and interesting colonial architec-
in America which is a direct con-
tinustion of European influence and
suggestion.
America In Conquest.
After the second war with Eng
land America is engaged in the
conquest of a continent, the re-
markedly rapid conquest which re-
uuined scarcely more than two gem
erations to extend from the shores
Of the Atlantic to the shores of the
Pacific. While this colossal under
taking of the nineteenth century
absorbed the energies of this con-
tinent. il meant this in its architec-
ture. that the nation was a nation
Of pioneers: that each year the out
post was further and further West.
further and further away from the
first little architectural environment
or the colonial cities of the earlier
scaboard