It's All Greek to Me: Classical Influences on Georgian and Federal Architectural Styles in the American Colonies

Abstract

When the British established colonies in North America, they brought with them their cultural practices and ideals, which can be seen in the architectural styles present in the New World. It is generally accepted that both the Early Colonial and Georgian styles were brought to North America through English influence over the colonies, however, architects are in disagreement as to whether the Federal style should be given its own designation. In order to understand the genesis of the stylistic influences behind both the Georgian and Federal styles in colonial and post-colonial North America, this paper will outline the characteristics of domestic structures that exemplify each style as well as the prominent architects associated with them. I will argue that the Federal style is a separate and distinct style from the Georgian style in post-colonial America due not only to variation of architectural and stylistic elements, but more importantly due to the social milieu of the period in which it arose.