Renaissance Renaissance
From the 1880s through the 1890s, New York architects began turning to Renaissance optimism for inspiration, building houses varying from academic rigor to the most eccentric of nature. “Although grouped under the general designation of the Renaissance Revival style, it drew much form and decoration from many sources – Romanesque, Beaux-Arts, Italian Renaissance, French Renaissance, French Classicism, German Renaissance, among others, Ciccone writes. “The Renaissance dwelling relied on applied detailing for its stylistic influence, with the most common motifs being wreaths, fruit baskets, wreaths and leaves tied with ribbons at the ends, and numerous origami figures.”
Colonial Revival
By the 1890s to the 2000s, architects were revisiting the earlier Federal style for what would be called Colonial Revival (a misnomer, since Federal style after American independence), inspired in part by the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. As such, brick took priority over brownstone, limestone, and granite on the facades. After the turn of the 20th century, the popularity of row houses began to wane, as apartment buildings were on the rise.
© Bricks & Brownstone: The New York Row House. Brick and Brownstone: The New York Row House Written by Charles Lockwood and Patrick W. Ciccone, Rizzoli New York, 2019.