Greek Revival America

A long, loving look at the styles of living and governing fostered by the American Greek Revival, a period that began in the 1820s and flourished until the Civil War. 200 full-color photographs. 50 black-and-white period illustrations.

In this sweeping history, Alexander Kitroeff shows how the Greek Orthodox Church in America has functioned as much more than a religious institution, becoming the focal point in the lives of the country's million-plus Greek immigrants and their descendants. Assuming the responsibility of running Greek-language schools and encouraging local parishes to engage in cultural and social activities, the church became the most important Greek American institution and shaped the identity of Greeks in the United States. Kitroeff digs into these traditional activities, highlighting the American church's dependency on the "mother church," the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople, and the use of Greek language in the Sunday liturgy. Today, as this rich biography of the church shows us, Greek Orthodoxy remains in between the Old World and the New, both Greek and American.

Authors and architects Norman and Ilene Tyler share with readers the thrill of discovering the historic significance of their house, referred to as "one of the finest Greek Revival houses in America." The account begins dramatically with the day one of the four large columns unexpectedly fell onto the front lawn, its capital shattered on the slate sidewalk. From this incident, they initiate research on the question of how and where the elaborately crafted columns were fabricated for their house during the early years of settlement in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They expand their research by visiting sites of other similar nineteenth-century Greek Revival residences in western New York State, and continue their odyssey with visits to the first Greek Revival structures in England, finally tracing the roots of their home to a particular ancient site they discover in Athens, Greece. Many books have been written about about Greek Revival architecture. However, no book has invited readers to trace back through history the genealogy of a single house over 2,500 years. The authors describe, step-by-step, how information is found from many different sources-history books, architecture books, pattern books, articles, interviews with local historians, and site visits in the United States and Europe-that reveals startling new interpretation of documented historical events to change forever the understanding and source of the Greek Revival style.

This beautifully illustrated tour of America's houses begins in 1640 with the early roots of American style -- a combination of European skill and attitude combined with American know-how. This architectural journey continues on through the 18th and 19th centuries, through the Greek Revival, the Americanization of the Gothic Revival, and the early Colonial Revival. The houses of the 20th century are the main attraction as House Styles in America delves into the major movements in the Romantic Revivals of the 1920s and 1930s: English, French, and Spanish. Replete with 200 color photographs, this architectural journey is an essential and beautiful guide for realtors, tourists, and students of architecture.