Architecture: Federal Style

Architecture: Federal Style

Sources

An American Style. The classical and federal styles dominated American architecture in the early republic. Closely related to one another, they used classical elements in different ways. Classical architecture is monumental and austere in character, patterning itself after ancient temples. In contrast, federal architecture is lighter and more intricate, with delicate details and ornaments. The leading practitioner of federal style was Bostonian Charles Bulfinch (1763–1844), who developed his interest in English neoclassical architecture while in

London. In particular he looked for models to two leading figures in the English neoclassical tradition: Robert Adam and William Chambers, modifying and adapting their style to American circumstances. On his return to Boston in 1787, Bulfinch executed his first design, the Hollis Street Church. This project was followed by designs for many other private and public buildings, including the Connecticut State House (1793–1796) and the Federal Street Theater (1793–1794) in Boston. Through such designs he helped to establish the dominance of federal-style architecture in New England.

Amateur to Professional. American architects of this period were either gentlemen amateurs, for whom architecture was a hobby, or builders, for whom design was a secondary aspect of construction. From a wealthy background, Bulfinch started out as an amateur and remained one until the failure of one of his most ambitious projects, the Tontine Crescent (1793–1794) in Boston. Inspired by English examples, the Tontine Crescent was a row of connected houses built according to a coherent design, the first such development in America. Because he began work on this project during a recession, Bulfinch had been unable to attract enough investors and ended up financing it with his own money. After going bankrupt in 1796, he turned to architecture to make a living, helping to transform architecture into a professional occupation. In his wife’s words, “My husband … made Architecture his business, as it had been his pleasure.”

The Massachusetts State House. The most important and best-known of Bulfinch’s designs is the Massachusetts State House (1795–1797). Modeled on William Chambers’s design for Somerset House in England, the Massachusetts State House design is notable for its central dome, a feature that was widely imitated in designs for other state capitols. Contemporary commentary on the Massachusetts State House suggests how this building adapted British styles for American nationalistic purposes. A writer for the Columbian Centinel declared in 1798, “Too much praise cannot be bestowed upon the Agents who have directed the construction of this superb edifice, for their economy, liberality and patriotism.—The materials are mostly of the produce of our country, and the composition ornaments were made and moulded on the spot.” The intersection between public affairs and Bulfinch’s architectural interests culminated with his appointment as architect of the U.S. Capitol in 1817, taking over from Benjamin Latrobe the task of rebuilding of the Capitol after it was burned by the British during the War of 1812. Work was completed in 1827.

Sources

Fiske Kimball, American Architecture (Indianapolis & New York: Bobbs-Merrill, 1928);

Harold Kirker, The Architecture of Charles Bulfinch (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1969);

Charles A. Place, Charles Bulfinch, Architect and Citizen (New York: Da Capo Press, 1968);

Joseph J. Thorndike Jr., ed., Three Centuries of American Architects (New York: American Heritage Publishing, 1981);

Marcus Whiffen, American Architecture Since 1780: A Guide to the Styles (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1969);

Whiffen and Frederick Koeper, American Architecture, 1607–1976 (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1981).