Greek Revival Architecture
and Its Prevalence in Savannah, Georgia
Since the country's foundation, the architecture of the United States has had a broad range of styles that have made a strong presence in its urban landscape. Through the different ideological preferences and tastes that formed as the country grew, these varied architectural styles increased throughout the land. Hence, Americans were beginning to develop a distinctive architectural palate. Whether by adopting an aesthetic from its colonial heritage or introducing classical concepts to modernize the country, examples of great architectural styles were making a mark in the U.S. Of these various styles, one that resonated heavily, especially in its impact on public buildings, is Greek Revival architecture.
Greek revival architecture is part of a broader movement of design thinking that encapsulated more than one field in its practice, as it referenced design tenets from antiquity. The Greek Revival architectural style derived from an appreciation of Grecian ideals, and these ideals influenced a complete artistic movement that touched many disciplines. It significantly influenced the creation of architecture, furniture, paintings, and other decorative arts. The movement became a visual and conceptual language through which practitioners, such as architects and builders, would communicate within the fundaments of Grecian ideals.
This revival of ancient Greek architecture took hold mainly in Europe and North America. In Europe, scholars began to study the works of ancient Greece, as access to the country had increased since. Before the 18th century, wars and political conflict had made a journey to Greece a dangerous endeavor. With time, a society of British noblemen called the Society of Dilettanti funded travel to the Mediterranean to study the archeological findings in the area. Archeologists, architects, and artists took part in this journey. Their findings created some of the first accurate drawings of ancient Greek architecture, especially of the classical orders used to create temples. As the modern Greece nation opened its doors to travelers and conflict waned, the architecture of ancient Greece would gain significant prominence. The Greek temples, which would house the deities of ancient times, were now looked upon to serve as a reference for new buildings that would become the embodiments of civic virtue and patrimony.
"The main reasons for the style's popularity seem to have been the general intellectual preoccupation with ancient Greek culture at the time, as well as a new awareness of the actual nature of Greek art brought about through widely circulated illustrations of notable ancient temples and the Elgin Marbles. The growing recognition of the Parthenon in Athens as a major monument helped secure the dominance of this Grecian form.
Many major examples of the Greek Revival survive in the United States, where the style was adopted on a large scale. It was also in the United States that, for both practical and ideological reasons, many strange distortions of the style found acceptance." - https://www.britannica.com/art/Greek-Revival.
In America, the Grecian movement came at a time of prosperity. As a newly established nation, the U.S. was gaining notoriety and wealth as an autonomous power capable of iterating its unique forms of creating environments, creating an American architectural lexicon. The subsequent proliferation of American architectural texts, especially pattern books that provided highly detailed Grecian drawings of architectural forms, would propose Grecian architecture as exemplary. The temples and style of ancient Greece became the basis for moving from early American architecture of the past to creating more modernized architecture in the 19th century. Moving past the Colonial and Federal styles that had dominated the American urban landscape decades prior, the adoption of the ancient Grecian style would become one of the first design movements to generate critical monumental structures in the young country. Eventually, the acceptance of ideas like democracy and liberty or design concepts like symmetry, harmony, and balance became the standard practice for creating architecture. The acceptance of Greek architecture would influence many further generations of architects and their designs.
A principal actor in the dissemination of the Greek revival in America was architect John S. Norris. Norris was one of Savannah, Georgia's most notable architects, who designed many prominent buildings in his era. His implementation of Grecian architecture (and other styles) in one of the original colonies was significant and commendable. He created arguably some of the most notable buildings in the city in the antebellum period. These buildings include the Greek revival masterpiece, the United States Customs House in Savannah, and other buildings like the Mercer-Williams House, and the Green-Meldrim House, all impressive buildings which still stand in the romantic, southern city. In fact, because of Norris's variations in his work, perhaps not all buildings created by Norris are attributed to him, as documentation at the time was not always accurate. Nevertheless, the examples he left behind of his body of work make a testament to his virtuosity and expediency as an architect.
Aside from Norris's work, there are other great examples of Greek revival architecture in Savannah. The First Baptist Church of Savannah, completed in 1833, is one of them. First chartered in 1800, this church is the oldest standing house of worship in Savannah. The church, designed by architect Elias Carter, displays the use of the ancient Greek temple façade. Another example is the Harper Fowlkes House, on Chippewa Square, built in 1842. Furnished with antiques from the mid 19th century, the house presents a west-facing portico supported by Corinthian columns. Lastly, the Philbrick-Eastman House, also facing Chippewa Square, is a remarkable Greek revival structure. With notoriety as the "finest home in the city," it was initially a private residence built in the 1840s. As an innovator of the Greek revival movement in the South, American architect Charles B. Cluskey designed both homes. His designs serve as some of the finest examples of the Greek revival style in the country.
For over four decades in the 19th century, from the 1820s to 1860s, the principles of Greek architecture dominated architecture in America. In the South, many prominent homes adopted the classical columns of the ancient Greeks, as classical ideals enthralled them. Americans accepted the country as an heir of ancient Greece and their fundaments of democracy. In Savannah, a city with a
rich history of marvelous architecture and notable urban planning, the Greek Revival style is alive and well. Today, these significant works of architecture line the streets of our elegant city, presenting the symbolic attributes of virtue and harmony.
