Growth of Greek Revival Throughout the United States

Thomas Jefferson studied “The Antiquities of Athens” and introduced Greek Revival architecture to the United States. When Jefferson appointed Benjamin Latrobe to the title of Surveyor of Public Buildings in 1803, he was tasked to complete the Capitol in Washington D.C. His style was considered imaginative and unconstrained; known for incorporating American motifs such as corncobs and tobacco leaves. His vision became the standard approach to Greek architecture. Even though, his overall plan for the Capitol did not survive, most of his interiors remain. He also created the interior of the Supreme Court, and what many consider his masterpiece, the Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Baltimore.

“I am a bigoted Greek in the condemnation of the Roman architecture…,” Latrobe often proclaimed. Yet, he did not rigidly utilize Greek forms

“Our religion requires a church wholly different from the temple, our legislative assemblies and our courts of justice, buildings of entirely different principles from their basilicas; and our amusements could not possibly be performed in their theatres or amphitheatres,” he said. His colleagues included an informal following of Greek revivalists, and it was his influence that shaped the next generation of American architects.

Many of Latrobe’s pupils led the second phase of Greek Revival in the United States. They created a monumental national style under the patronage of banker and hellenophile Nicholas Biddle. These works included the Second Bank of the United States by William Strickland, Biddle’s home “Andalusia” and Girard College, both by Thomas U. Walter. At the same time, many books fueled the passion for the style including “The Practical House Carpenter,” by Asher Benjamin. Following his vision, many homes were built to reflect the popular Greek architecture. From the period of 1820 to 1850, Greek Revival dominated housing design in the United States and could be found as far west as Illinois.

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