The Gibbons Mansion (Mead Hall) at Drew University in Madison , NJ
The Greek revival style of architecture, of which Mead Hall is a particularly superb example, is considered to be America’s first national style when it blossomed in the first half of the 19th century, pre-Civil War period. This style is seen in the simple symmetrical T-shaped plan and Greek architectural elements – the massive columns supporting an architrave, which lent itself perfectly for an impressive portico, an especially southern feature.
Fluted ionic columns and architraves echo throughout the interior, framing doors and windows. The red brick was originally painted a light grey, imitating the stone of Greek temples. Ancient Greece, which was being newly discovered through archaeological exploration, was thought to embody the new country’s democratic ideals, reflected in the harmony, symmetry, simplicity, and monumentalism of the Greek revival style.
The Gibbons Mansion (Mead Hall) at Drew University in Madison , NJ
The Greek revival style of architecture, of which Mead Hall is a particularly superb example, is considered to be America’s first national style when it blossomed in the first half of the 19th century, pre-Civil War period. This style is seen in the simple symmetrical T-shaped plan and Greek architectural elements – the massive columns supporting an architrave, which lent itself perfectly for an impressive portico, an especially southern feature.
Fluted ionic columns and architraves echo throughout the interior, framing doors and windows. The red brick was originally painted a light grey, imitating the stone of Greek temples. Ancient Greece, which was being newly discovered through archaeological exploration, was thought to embody the new country’s democratic ideals, reflected in the harmony, symmetry, simplicity, and monumentalism of the Greek revival style.