Gothic Revival Architecture in Savannah

 As one of the oldest cities in the country and the oldest in the state of Georgia, the city of Savannah is renowned as "The Hostess City of the South," noted for its hospitality and unique character. As such, part of Savannah's charm comes from the remarkable examples of architecture observable through its most memorable streets. Nonetheless, Savannah is recognized by the U.S. government as one of the country's most extensive National Historic Landmark Districts. From its origins as the first planned grid city in the U.S. to the accumulation of different architectural styles collected from different epochs in history, Savannah has become a bastion of exceptional architecture. One of the most captivating architectural styles Savannah offers is the Gothic Revival architectural style. As a style that originated in Europe and came to America by exchange of ideas, Savannah hosts a singular blend of the Gothic Revival style that exudes an American identity with the English aspirations of venerating the ancient style.

The history of Gothic Revival architecture begins in England. This ideal of reviving the ancient Gothic architectural aesthetic was used to confront the novel challenges of the modern, industrialized world by using reliable although romanticized methods of the ancient past.

Beginning in the era of the 18th century, Europe was going through fundamental changes. In England, the industrial revolution changed manufacturing processes that had long been established, moving the regular production of goods from made to order, hand-crafted commodities to readily available, factory-made, mass processed wares. In essence, the nation was changing from a rural, agrarian society into an urbanized, industrial network of cities. The industrial revolution that had taken hold of the country reshaped the economy of England and introduced large-scale industries, where the efficiency of production and need for labor were maximized. This surge in increased labor, available consumer goods, and especially the agricultural improvements achieved during this time improved Victorian-era Britons' quality of life and wealth, thus allowing the populace to grow at a steady and stable pace like never seen before. Cities throughout England, like London or Manchester, primarily market-oriented towns, became industry hubs, as factories sprang up and laborers amassed in their working stations. Thus, the industrial revolution was in effect, as a skyscape of chimneys billowing clouds of smoke displayed signs of the new epoch.

Although the Industrial Revolution brought many technological advancements and some prosperity to the masses in its later years, detractors of the consequences of modernization decried the use of machinery and factory production. These critics distrusted the new mechanical era, and the liberal philosophies that came along with them, chiefly the religious nonconformity to Catholicism practiced in the country. The conservative and religious critics viewed the medieval past as a romanticized, golden era of societal cohabitation. Running in contrast to the architectural movement of Neoclassicism, which emphasized liberal themes of rationalism, order, and elevated Ancient Rome and Greece as ideal societies, the proponents of Gothic revivalism were smitten by the medieval ruins of Gothic architecture. They found the Gothic style as a divergence from the formality of Neoclassical structures. Not only this, but the popular literature of the time romanticized the past. Famous authors like Horace Walpole and Sir Walter Scott wrote novels set in medieval times, opening a world of imagination set in this distant medieval era, giving its readers a desire to return to a romantic past of simpler living.

"Ruskin stated that the quality of medieval craftsmanship reflected the morally superior way of life of the medieval world and urged a return to the conditions operative in the earlier period." - https://www.britannica.com/art/Gothic-Revival

Finding inspiration in the Gothic architecture of the past, aristocrats, scholars, and architects of increasingly serious prestige began to consider ancient Gothic architecture as a more accessible and versatile aesthetic that emphasized England's history and medieval folklore. Accordingly, the Gothic revival style overtook the aesthetics of late 18th century and 19th century England as the architectural design of choice.

Although there are no formally defined elements of Gothic architecture, as the centuries-old style varied regionally and was adapted throughout hundreds of years, the practice of Gothic revival architecture relied mainly on the pointed arch as the determining factor for Gothic design. The pointed arch and the style's predominant use in the construction of churches and educational institutions. In the Gothic revival style, several different themes or elements are prevalent in many buildings. These elements include emphasizing verticality, incorporating "fortified" towers, tracery windows, large stained glass, ribbed vaults, flying buttresses, and elaborate decoration used in the opening of doors and windows and as accents throughout. One major player in the establishment of Gothic revival architecture was the Englishman Augustus Pugin. Unlike earlier architectural practitioners in the Gothic revival movement, Pugin's fondness for religion and his scholarly approach to the ancient Gothic style served to create an ambitious and pioneering plan. Pugin's determination would result in some of England's most prominent buildings being designed in the Gothic manner. Pugin's influence would result in creating many churches and buildings in the Gothic Revival style, including the iconic English building, the Palace of Westminster.

In the United States, the Gothic style would make its mark in many regions. It would continue to be used for a much more extended period than the English until the 20th century. The first American Gothic revival structure sprung in the Northeast, with the first building designed in Maryland by American architect Alexander Jackson Davis. Davis was a prominent Gothic revival proponent, authoring a book promoting Gothic architecture for private residencies in rural settings. Andrew Jackson Downing, also an author and friend of Davis, published his writings, sharing the viewpoints with Davis. Therefore, the first Gothic revival architectural examples in America were used primarily to create rural homes in the countryside. The residencies could often be cottages or smaller buildings made primarily from wood, using the pointed arches, steep gables, and ornate accent moldings, which would, in turn, become known as the Carpenter Gothic, a uniquely American iteration of the Gothic revival style.

"Gothic Revival was never popular as Greek or Italianate styles (in America), but it's surprising how often this style reveals itself in churches, houses, and some public buildings. It was mostly popular between 1840-1860 for houses, usually in a wood-frame form referred to as Carpenter Gothic. It remained a popular style for churches nationally right up through the 1940s (WWII), due primarily to its association with European ecclesiastical architecture." https://architecturestyles.org/gothic-revival/

Savannah, Georgia's most historied city, with its charming seaside enchantment, contains some of the country's finestexamples of Gothic revival architecture. One such example is the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist on Lafayette Square. The cathedral is one of Savannah's oldest houses of worship, which at one time included about a third of Georgia's Catholic population. It is the seat of the bishop of the diocese, and hence, it is considered a cathedral. The structure features two twin spires, an impressive nave and transepts, and stained-glass windows. It is one of the most remarkable examples of Gothic revival architecture in the South. Over on the east side of Monterey Square, you'll find Temple Mickve Isreal, the first synagogue built in Georgia. Temple Mickve Isreal is another fine example of Gothic revival architecture and it was named one of the most beautiful synagogues globally by the renowned magazine Condé Nast. The building is it is made in the Neo-Gothic style popular of the 19th century. The Green-Meldrim House on the northwest corner of Madison Square, is another instance of the elegant Gothic revival architecture in Savannah. Built by Mr. Charles Green, an Englishman who settled in Savannah, the house was once occupied by General William Tecumseh Sherman when the Federal army occupied Savannah during the Civil War.

These evocative buildings in Savannah exemplify the captivating qualities of the Gothic style, as they feature stained glass windows, pointed structures, and cast-iron metalwork, among other elements. Furthermore, these complex and beautiful structures build on the vast stock of Savannah's captivating buildings, adding to the architectural lexicon of the Southern city.