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Gothic Revival Architecture
Today's post is part three of my old house architecture series and we will be looking at Gothic Revival architecture.
Gothic Revival is exactly what it sounds like . . . a revival of the Gothic style. Gothic architecture was built from 1100-1500 and Gothic Revival began in the 1800's, developing from people's adoration for the Romanticism era and a love of medieval castles.
The Gothic Revival style was particularly popular in Canada in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. With Canada’s confederation taking place in 1867, there was a rise in large construction projects for government and civil services across the country - and they were mainly Gothic Revival in style.
One of the first major Gothic Revival structures built in Canada was the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, Quebec. It was designed in 1824 by James O’Donnell and at its time of completion, it was the largest church in North America. Its style was replicated in smaller scales for multiple denominations in cities all across Canada.
Here are some interior and exterior pictures of a classic Gothic Revival church in the rural community of St. Mary's, ON, Canada:
St. Mary's, Ontario, Canada
St. Mary's, Ontario, Canada
St. Mary's, Ontario, Canada
St. Mary's, Ontario, Canada
One of the reasons this style was so popular in Canada was that the steep roofs and thick stone walls were great for the northern climate.
What started as governments, churches and universities modelling the Gothic Revival style, soon overflowed into residential design.
These residential homes became known as Gothic Cottage style.
Stratford, Ontario, Canada
Stratford, Ontario, Canada
Features on a Gothic Revival building include:
Tall pointed arch windows, doors, dormers and roof gables
Steeply pitched roofs ending in a high narrow point
Front facing gables with delicate wood trim more commonly known as gingerbread
Leaded glass
Oriel windows
Asymmetrical floor plans
An overall strong emphasis on height
Clover shaped porch banisters
Porches with decorative turned posts or narrow columns with arches or brackets connecting the posts
Churches feature castle-like towers with a crenellated parapet or high spire
Carpentry Gothic homes have board & batten vertical siding
Stratford, Ontario, Canada
Stratford, Ontario, Canada
Annandale House, Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada
In the 1960s & 1970s, scholars declared Gothic Revival architecture as one of the Canada's signature styles and an integral part of the Canadian landscape.
Famous Gothic Revival buildings in Canada include Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario and Casa Loma in Toronto, Ontario.
The detailed gingerbread gables are my favourite feature on a Gothic Revival house!
What is yours?
With gratitude,
Chantelle
