Federal Period
After the America Revolutionary War the country was working to rebuild and develop an "American" style of building. Thomas Jefferson and other Founders encouraged return to ideals of Ancient Greece and Rome, so the style is often referred to as Neoclassical. Federal style is linked with Georgian in time, overlapping elements. The new style more formal than Georgian style with simpler lines, representative of the mid-eighteenth century architecture of England and the Adams Brothers.
Common Federal and Neoclassical Elements:
- Exterior - very simple with symmetrical lines and had minimal ornamentation
- Exterior features - a low pitched side, hipped or center-gabled roof, smooth facades, fanlights over doors and sidelights, cornices and dentil moldings
- Interior - very formal features - Palladian style windows, bowed bays, hexagonal, oval or circular rooms. Double or triple sash windows, thin muntins
- Lighter and smaller in appearance, more formal and restrained than Georgian (less bold)
- Elliptical fanlight over and slender side lights flank the front door
- Palladian windows
- Rectangular or square exterior
- Window panes larger but muntins are more slender and delicate, double or triple sash windows extending to floor
- Roofs- usually lower and often hidden behind balustrades
- Rounded and oval shapes used more freely
- Belt course
- Arched windows in dormers
Federal Period Characteristics and Vocabulary:
- Symmetrical
- Balustrade
- Low pitched hip roof
- Front façade pediment
- Sidelights
- Fanlight
- Double-hung wood sash window
- Cornices
- Dental molding
- Gables
History and Culture of the Federal Period:
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/timelines/timelines.cfm
http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/History_n2/a.html
http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decades.html
http://www.houseofantiquehardware.com/s.nl/it.I/id.15/.f
http://timelineindex.com/content/home.php
Hair - http://www.costumegallery.com/hairstyles.htm
Fashion - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Western_fashion
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/timelines/timelines.cfm
http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/History_n2/a.html
http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decades.html
http://www.houseofantiquehardware.com/s.nl/it.I/id.15/.f
http://timelineindex.com/content/home.php
Hair - http://www.costumegallery.com/hairstyles.htm
Fashion - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Western_fashion
Bibliography:
Winters, Nathan B. Architecture Is Elementary: Visual Thinking through Architectural Concepts. Salt Lake City: Gibbs M. Smith, 1986. 113-19. Print.
Harris, Cyril M. Illustrated Dictionary of Historic Architecture. New York: Dover Publications, 1983. Print.
Walker, Les. American Shelter: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Home. Woodstock, NY: Overlook, 1981. Pg.98. Print.
Massey, James C., and Shirley Maxwell. House Styles in America: The Old-house Journal Guide to the Architecture of American Homes. New York, NY: Penguin Studio, 1996. 38-47. Print.
Winters, Nathan B. Architecture Is Elementary: Visual Thinking through Architectural Concepts. Salt Lake City: Gibbs M. Smith, 1986. 113-19. Print.
Harris, Cyril M. Illustrated Dictionary of Historic Architecture. New York: Dover Publications, 1983. Print.
Walker, Les. American Shelter: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Home. Woodstock, NY: Overlook, 1981. Pg.98. Print.
Massey, James C., and Shirley Maxwell. House Styles in America: The Old-house Journal Guide to the Architecture of American Homes. New York, NY: Penguin Studio, 1996. 38-47. Print.
Related Neoclassical/Federal Websites:
About.com
http://architecture.about.com/od/periodsstyles/ig/House-Styles/Federal.htm
Ask the Architect
http://askthearchitect.org/architectural-styles/federal-style-architecture
Federal Style Sketches
http://www.federalstyle.com/FederalStyleSketches/FederalStyleSketches.html
Essential Architecture
http://www.essential-architecture.com/STYLE/STY-Federal.htm
Encyclopedia Brittanica
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/203457/Federal-style
- http://www.salemweb.com/guide/arch/federal.shtml
- http://www.realtor.org/rmomag.nsf/pages/arch9
- http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/fa267/neoclassic.html
- http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/fa267/18house_monticello.html
- http://www.midtel.net/~mcselem/architecture/federal.htm
- http://www.historiccharleston.org/russell.html This site has an animated virtual tour of the Nathaniel Russell House in Charleston.
- http://www.jhu.edu/~hwdhouse/tour.html This site has a virtual tour of Homewood in Baltimore, Maryland.
About.com
http://architecture.about.com/od/periodsstyles/ig/House-Styles/Federal.htm
Ask the Architect
http://askthearchitect.org/architectural-styles/federal-style-architecture
Federal Style Sketches
http://www.federalstyle.com/FederalStyleSketches/FederalStyleSketches.html
Essential Architecture
http://www.essential-architecture.com/STYLE/STY-Federal.htm
Encyclopedia Brittanica
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/203457/Federal-style