Carpenter Gothic

Carpenter Gothic, also sometimes called Carpenter's Gothic or Rural Gothic, is a North American architectural style-designation for an application of Gothic Revival architectural detailing and picturesque massing applied to wooden structures built by house-carpenters. The abundance of North American timber and the carpenter-built vernacular architectures based upon it made a picturesque improvisation upon Gothic a natural evolution. Carpenter Gothic improvises upon features that were carved in stone in authentic Gothic architecture, whether original or in more scholarly revival styles; however, in the absence of the restraining influence of genuine Gothic structures, the style was freed to improvise and emphasize charm and quaintness rather than fidelity to received models. The genre received its impetus from the publication by Alexander Jackson Davis of ''Rural Residences'' and from detailed plans and elevations in publications by Andrew Jackson Downing.

History

Carpenter Gothic houses and small churches became common in North America in the late nineteenth century. Additionally during this time, Protestant followers were building many Carpenter Gothic churches throughout the midwest, northeast, and some areas in the south of the US. This style is apart of the Gothic Revival movement. For example. these structures adapted Gothic elements, such as pointed arches, steep gables, and towers, to traditional American light-frame construction. The invention of the scroll saw and mass-produced wood moldings allowed a few of these structures to mimic the florid fenestration of the High Gothic. But in most cases, Carpenter Gothic buildings were relatively unadorned, retaining only the basic elements of pointed-arch windows and steep gables. Probably the best known example of Carpenter Gothic is the house in Eldon, Iowa, that Grant Wood used for the background of his famous painting ''American Gothic''.

Characteristics

Carpenter Gothic is largely confined to small domestic buildings and outbuildings and small churches. It is characterized by its profusion of jig-sawn details, whose craftsmen-designers were freed to experiment with elaborate forms by the invention of the steam-powered scroll saw. A common but not necessary feature is board and batten siding. Other common features include decorative bargeboards, gingerbread trim, pointed-arched windows, wheel window, one-story veranda, and steep central gable. A less common feature is buttressing, especially on churches and larger houses. Exterior elements like elaborate forms pointed arches made their way inside the homes as well. This can be seen in pointed arch openings and doorways.

Ornamental use

Being apart of the Gothic Revival, the ornamentation in Carpenter Gothic is much more eclectic, it uses more superficial and obvious motifs. Specifically, Carpenter Gothic ornamentation, referred to as gingerbread, is not limited to use on wooden structures but has been used successfully on other structures especially Gothic Revival brick houses such as the Warren House in a historic district in Newburgh, New York, which is said to epitomize the work of Andrew Jackson Downing, but was actually done by his one-time partner, Calvert Vaux. Ornamentation can be seen in the interior as well. Many elements in the interiors were highly crafted such as staircases, walls, ceilings, and fireplaces. Examples of this ornament use include wainscoting, ceiling beams or coffered ceilings, and incredibly ornate wallpapers. Not only that but gothic rosewood furniture was also utilized.

Geographic extent

Carpenter Gothic structures are typically found in most states of the United States, except Arizona and New Mexico. There is one Carpenter Gothic in the Huning Highlands Historical District in downtown Albuquerque circa 1882 built by the Seth family who lived there until 2002. Many Carpenter Gothic houses were built in Nevada in the 1860-1870s (Virginia City, Reno, Carson City, and Carson Valley areas) and still exist (2010). Interestingly, although this style was most common in northern America, nowhere else had built as many churches as in Florida between 1870 and 1900. In Canada, carpenter Gothic places of worship are found in all provinces and the Northwest Territories, while Carpenter Gothic houses seem to be limited to Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime Provinces.

Endangered Carpenter Gothic buildings

Many American Carpenter Gothic structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which may help to ensure their preservation. Many, though, are not listed and those in urban areas are endangered by the increased value of the land they occupy.

A current example of this is St. Saviour's Episcopal Church, Maspeth, New York, built in 1847 by Richard Upjohn. It was sold to a developer in 2006. Its rectory had already been demolished and a deal with the City of New York to preserve the church in exchange for higher density on the remaining vacant land fell through and the parcel went on the market for $10 million.

After a number of postponements, in March 2008, just hours before the final deadline to demolish the church, a deal was struck with a local community group, whereby they were allowed time to raise money to move the structure. At a cost of some $2 million, the building was reduced to its original appearance and dismantled into pieces, so it could be transported through the narrow, winding streets of the neighborhood. It was reconstructed on the grounds of a cemetery in the nearby neighborhood of Middle Village, where it is now used for community activities.

Relocation

Some Carpenter Gothic buildings have been relocated for reasons ranging from historic preservation to aesthetics. Some, such as All Saints, Jensen Beach, Florida, have been moved only a few hundred feet on the same property in order to get a better view and to allow for expansion, while others such as Holy Apostles, Satellite Beach, Florida, have been barged many miles in order to be preserved. Others such as All Saints, DeQuincy, Louisiana, have been dismantled, transported long distances and then reassembled in order to be preserved and reused. Some structures have been moved many times.

St. Luke's, Cahaba, Alabama, has had an interesting history of moves. In 1876, due to the danger of flooding in Cahaba, it was dismantled and moved from its original location 25 miles or so to Browns where it was reassembled. In 2006–2007, it was carefully dismantled by students from Auburn University and moved back to Cahaba, where it is now being reassembled by the students on the Cahaba State Historic Site not too far from its original location.

Exterior alterations

Some Carpenter Gothic structures such as St. Stephen's in Ridgeway, South Carolina, have had their exteriors altered by stuccoing, brick veneering, etc., so that their original style is no longer apparent.

"American Gothic"

"American Gothic" is a painting by Grant Wood from 1930. This painting depicts American rural life with its subject being a “stern” looking couple in front of a small Carpenter Gothic style house. Wood's inspiration came from a cottage designed in the Carpenter Gothic style with a distinctive upper window"Grant Wood"
, Art Institute of Chicago. Retrieved December 14, 2008. and a decision by the artist to paint the house along with "the kind of people I fancied should live in that house."Fineman, Mia
The Most Famous Farm Couple in the World: Why American Gothic still fascinates.
, ''Slate'', 8 June 2005

Steamboat Gothic

''Steamboat Gothic'' architecture, a term popularized by Frances Parkinson Keyes's novel of that name, is sometimes confused with Carpenter Gothic architecture, but Steamboat Gothic usually refers to large houses in the Mississippi and Ohio river valleys that were designed to resemble the steamboats on those rivers.

Recent examples

St. Luke's Church in Blue Ridge, Georgia, was built in 1995. Houses and churches are sometimes built in the Carpenter Gothic style into the 21st Century.

Outside North America

File:COLLECTIE_TROPENMUSEUM_Groepsportret_met_missionaris_pastoor_J._van_der_Loo_voor_de_Rooms-Katholieke_kerk_te_Konga_TMnr_10016687.jpg, Local Catholic church of Konga, Larantuka, Indonesia. (circa 1915).
File:Acre_rio_Branco_(386).jpg, Recreational center of Rio Branco, Brazil, built in 1924.
File:St_Mary's_Church,_Parnell.jpg, St Mary's Cathedral of Auckland, completed in 1898.
File:FAL-2016-Stanley, Falkland Islands–St. Mary's Catholic Church.jpg, St. Mary's Catholic Church of Stanley, Falkland Islands, constructed in 1899.
File:20191121 Guyana 0048 Georgetown sRGB (49295795336).jpg, St. George's Cathedral, Georgetown, Guyana

Many nineteenth-century timber Gothic Revival structures were built in Australia, and in New Zealand - such as Frederick Thatcher's Old St. Paul's, Wellington, and Benjamin Mountfort's St Mary's, but the term "Carpenter's Gothic" is not often used, and many of their architects also built in stone.

Gallery

Churches, synagogues, etc.

File:Eastsound WA - Emmanuel Episcopal Church 02.jpg, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Eastsound, Orcas Island Washington
File:Dwight IL Pioneer Gothic Church7.JPG, Pioneer Gothic Church, Dwight, Illinois, originally a Presbyterian church
File:UU San Mateo.jpg, Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo, California, California, originally a Methodist church
File:All Saint's Episcopal Church in Enterprise1.jpg, All Saints Episcopal Church (Enterprise, Florida)
File:The Old Church (ex-Calvary Presbyterian) - Portland, Oregon.jpg, The Old Church (Portland, Oregon), originally Calvary Presbyterian Church
File:St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in 2011.JPG, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Prairieville, Alabama Note the buttresses.
File:Lagrangechurch.jpg, La Grange Church, Titusville, Florida, originally non-denominational Protestant
File:Palatka Saint Marks01.jpg, St. Mark's Episcopal Church (Palatka, Florida). Note the buttresses at the base of the belfry.
File:Oldstlukes.jpg, St. Luke's Episcopal Church and Cemetery (Courtenay, Florida)
File:Port Orange Grace Episc Church01.jpg, Grace Episcopal Church and Guild Hall (Port Orange, Florida)
File:Dunedin Andr Mem Chapel01.jpg, Andrews Memorial Chapel (Dunedin, Florida), originally a Presbyterian church
File:Bethany-2-kendrick-id-us.png, Bethany Memorial Chapel (Kendrick, Idaho), originally a Norwegian Lutheran church
File:Holytrinfruitlandpark6.jpg, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church (Fruitland Park, Florida)
File:Old Scotch Church autumn - Hillsboro Oregon.jpg, Tualatin Plains Presbyterian Church, Hillsboro, Oregon
File:Holy Trinity Episcopal Church (Melbourne, Florida) Oblique View.jpg, Chapel of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church (Melbourne, Florida)
File:Lowdnesborostpauls.jpg, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Lowndesboro, Alabama
File:St Johns in the Prairie 01.jpg, St. John's-In-The-Prairie Episcopal Church, Forkland, Alabama
File:St. Luke's Church at Cahaba 03.JPG, St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Cahaba, Alabama
File:St_Margarets_Hibernia_chapel.jpg, St. Margaret's Episcopal Church (Hibernia, Florida).
File:AllSaintsEpisJensenBeachFL.jpg, All Saints Episcopal Church, Waveland (Jensen Beach, Florida)
File:Zion Memorial Chapel, New Hamburg, NY.jpg, St. Nicholas Chapel, New Hamburg, New York
File:Gethsemane Evangelical Lutheran Church Detroit MI.jpg, Gethsemane Evangelical Lutheran Church, Detroit, Michigan
File:Moose Factory.jpg, St. Thomas' Anglican Church (Moose Factory, Ontario)
File:StPaulsChapel.jpg, The original St. Paul's Episcopal Church (Walnut Creek, California)
File:DeFuniak Springs Hist Dist CD0144a St Agathas.jpg, St. Agatha's Episcopal Church, DeFuniak Springs, Florida. Note the unusual tower.
File:First Baptist Church Methuen MA.jpg, First Baptist Church (Methuen, Massachusetts)
File:Calvary Lutheran Church - Silverton Oregon.jpg, Calvary Lutheran Church (Silverton, Oregon)
File:St Pauls Chapel Jul 09.JPG, St. Paul's Chapel (Crownsville, Maryland)
File:St. Paul's by the Sea Protestant Episcopal Church.jpg, St. Paul's by-the-sea Protestant Episcopal Church, Ocean City, Maryland
File:St Johns Ruxton MD 01.jpg, St. John's Church (Ruxton, Maryland)
File:Mendocino Church Cropped.jpg, Mendocino Presbyterian Church
File:TempleIsraelLeadville.jpg, Temple Israel, Leadville, Colorado, 1884 Reform synagogue.
File:GCS FL HD St. Mary's Church01.jpg, St. Mary's Church (Green Cove Springs, Florida)
File:United Methodist Church and Parsonage.jpg, United Methodist Church and Parsonage (Mount Kisco, New York)

Houses

Plain

File:2007-06-04-Gothic House.jpg, American Gothic House in his famous painting.
File:OakBluffs1.jpg, Cottages in a former Methodist camp town in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts on Martha's Vineyard.
File:OakBluffs2.jpg, Another view of cottages in Oak Bluffs,.
File:AVPeters.JPG, Peters-Liston-Wintermeier House in Eugene, Oregon
File:Wilson-Durbin1.JPG, Wilson-Durbin House in Salem, Oregon
File:Blydenburgh Farm Cottage.jpg, Blydenburgh Farmhouse Cottage, built 1860 in Smithtown, New York
File:James and Jennie Cooper House.JPG, James S. and Jennie M. Cooper House, Independence, Oregon
File:Joseph & Priscilla Craven House Monmouth.jpg, Joseph and Priscilla Craven House, Monmouth, Oregon

Ornate

File:Kingscote 02.jpg, Kingscote in Newport, Rhode Island, built in 1839.
File:AFTON VILLA GARDENS.jpg, Afton Villa, a former plantation house in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana. Built from 1848–56, the masonry structure burned in 1963.
File:J.M. Bonney House.JPG, J. M. Bonney House in Buena Vista, Colorado, built in 1883
File:2009-0805-MN-StPeter-CoxHouse.jpg, Eugene Saint Julien Cox House in St. Peter, Minnesota, built in 1871
File:Indian Ridge Jul 09.JPG, Indian Range, in Davidsonville, Maryland, built in 1852
File:Roseland Cottage (Bowen Cottage) - entryway.jpg, Roseland Cottage, Woodstock, Connecticut
File:Ashe Cottage.jpg, Ashe Cottage, Demopolis, Alabama
File:JSMorrill-House.jpg, Justin Smith Morrill Homestead Strafford, Vermont
File:Athenwood1.JPG, Athenwood, Montpelier, Vermont, built 1850
File:Waldwic 1.jpg, Waldwic, Gallion, Alabama
File:Moss mansion.jpg, J. Mora Moss House in Mosswood Park, Oakland, California

Ornamental use

File:Warren House, Newburgh NY.jpg, Warren House, Gothic Revival brick house with Carpenter Gothic trim and features, Newburgh, New York, Historic District

See also

* Andrew Jackson Downing
* American Gothic
* Gothic Revival
* Gingerbread (architecture)
* Richard Upjohn
* Springside
* Stick style
* Structure relocation
* United Hebrews of Ocala, a Carpenter Gothic synagogue
* Wedding Cake House (Kennebunkport, Maine). Called the "most photographed building in Maine," it is an example of Carpenter Gothic remodeling of a frame building originally built in another style of architecture.
* Harmony School, School District No. 53 in rural Otoe County, Nebraska is an example of a Carpenter Gothic one-room schoolhouse.

References

External links

Carpenter Gothic houses





The serious side of Carpenter Gothic: Richard Upjohn and St. Saviour's Church, Maspeth, Queens, New York



Village of Round Lake, New York

{{Architecture in the United States

*
Revival architectural styles
American architectural styles
Church architecture
19th-century architectural styles