Richardsonian Romanesque (1880s – 1900s)
Richardsonian Romanesque, or Romanesque Revival, houses have broad Roman arches and massive stone walls.
History:
During the 1870s, Boston architect Henry Hobson Richardson captured the American imagination with rugged, forceful buildings like Allegheny Courthouse in Pittsburgh and Trinity Church in Boston. These buildings were called “Romanesque” because they had wide, rounded arches like buildings in ancient Rome. Henry Hobson Richardson became so famous for his Romanesque designs that the style is often called Richardsonian Romanesque.
The heavy Romanesque style was especially suited for grand public buildings. However, Romanesque buildings, with massive stone walls, were expensive to construct. Only the wealthy adopted the Richardsonian Romanesque style for private homes.
Features:
Constructed of rough-faced, square stones
Round towers with cone-shaped roofs
Columns and pilasters with spirals and leaf designs
Low, broad “Roman” arches over arcades and doorways
Patterned masonry arches over windows
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