It's All Greek to Me!

                                     It’s all Greek to Me!

           Lafayette was established in 1825, on the eve of the country’s 50^th birthday. Greek revival architecture was becoming all the rage in the United States, especially following the War of 1812. As a young nation, Americans naturally looked to the birthplace of democracy, Greece, for inspiration in their architecture. Lafayette, a booming river town was no exception and quickly built structures up in the style of the Greeks. 

Lafayette's previous Greek Revival Courthouse

Greek Revival architecture is surprisingly simple by later Victorian standards. It follows the shape and form of ancient Greek temples and structures. According to The Resource Guide from Wabash Valley Trust, Greek Revival structures are generally square or rectangular with low-pitched roofs, symmetry, dentil trim, and classical columns. 

The lower image is an example of dentil trim. Source: http://oldstonehousemuseum.org and http://www.invitinghome.com

Throughout Lafayette there are many grand examples of Greek Revival Architecture. Here are a few examples.

Another interesting aspect of Greek Revival is how often it was changed within our city. As the Greek Revival style fell out of favor after the Civil War, new styles like Italianate and Second-Empire began to take over. Many stylish Lafayette residents wanted to keep up with the trends without necessarily building a new house. Instead, many Lafayette residents replaced their Greek Revival details with Italianate trims and details. A good example is the Jones - Carnahan House. The house was constructed in 1849 in the Greek Revival by Mark Jones, a local district judge. In 1873, when Jones moved out and the Carnahans (you may know this name from Carnahan Hall downtown) moved in, they had the facade remodeled to keep up with the Italianate Style.  Although the trim has changed, the shape has remained essentially Greek Revival.

The Jones-Carnahan House (Courtesy of Bobbie Lutes Photography)

 Since Greek Revival can be very simple, it makes it very easy to destroy or obscure the original architecture.  For example, this house in Centennial was built in the mid-19^th century in the Greek revival style. It’s very simple yet in its original condition has a beauty that contributes to the character of the historic Centennial neighborhood. Centennial is NOT a protected district unfortunately, so guidelines for historic preservation are powerless in these renovations.

Before Photos from Historiccentennial.org

 

 Sadly, renovations that have removed the cornice, downsized the windows, and original siding have made this house look more at home in a newer suburban part of town than the historic old city.

While areas such as Main street and parts of 9^th Street Hill are protected, much of the city’s Greek Revival architecture is unprotected.  This lack of protection was brought front and center when St. Mary’s demolished a  Greek revival at Columbia and 13th streets (despite major opposition and efforts by neighbors and local groups) and Central Presbyterian demolished a Greek Revival at South and 8th. These houses had been standing since slavery was a legal institution, since Lincoln was president and the country was torn apart by war. They had been standing through both world wars, the rise of the automobile, the cold war and to modern day. What did them in? A need for a playground and green space.

Last image from architectural-metal.com

These structures have been demolished for a few years now, and neither playground or green space has been constructed since, leaving only empty land where Lafayette heritage once stood.We can take this loss and mourn or we can push for better protections for our remaining historic neighborhoods and landmarks.