Page 60 - Waxahachie, TX Residential Design Guidelines

Pl annin g a Preservation Project

c l a s s i c a l R e v i v a l ( 18 9 5 – 19 5 0 )
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A renewed interest in the United States in the classical architecture
of ancient Rome and Greece developed after the World’s
4 Columbian Exposition held in Chicago in 1893. Under the direction
of noted Chicago architect Daniel H. Burnham, a consortium of

3 the most prominent architects, landscape architects, and sculptors
of the day assembled to design a model city based on classical
precedents. Among those who participated in the design of the
exposition were Richard Morris Hunt, Louis Sullivan, Frederick
520 North College Street, an
Law Olmstead, and the firm of McKim, Mead, and White. The
example of Classical Revival
centerpiece of the exposition was the “White City,” a group of
architecture.
monumental colonnaded buildings situated around a central court.
Buildings exhibiting similar themes, but constructed on a more
domestic scale, were located in areas reserved for each state in
the Union. Designs in those areas were varied and drew heavily
from designs of Adam, Georgian, and early Classical Revival
residences built in the United States in the eighteenth and early
nineteenth centuries. Ultimately, the designs of the exposition were
translated to residences and commercial buildings found in many
of the nation’s small towns and cities.

Identifying features of the Classical Revival style include:
1. Symmetrical façade dominated by a full-height classical
portico or porch supported by classical columns, typically
with Ionic or Corinthian capitals
2. Gable or hip roofs are finished with boxed eaves frequently
accented with dentils or modillions and a wide frieze
3. Façade doorways usually feature decorative pediments,
sidelights or transoms
4. Fenestration consists of double-hung sash windows, usually
with six or nine panes per window frame

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409 West Franklin Street, a contributing structure to the West End
Historic District and an example of Classical Revival architecture.

52 Waxahac hie Residential design guidelines