Antebellum Architecture A Brief Look at Antebellum-Style Homes

Table Of Content

• A square, symmetrical exterior
• Defining Characteristics of Antebellum Homes
• St. Joseph Plantation
• Quick History of Antebellum Architecture
• Antebellum Architectural Style
• The History of Southern Architecture
• What Are the Antebellum Architecture Characteristics?
• Art Periods – A Detailed Look at the Art History Timeline

Scholars and art historians started cataloging the devastation as citizens began to clear up the wreckage. During and after Hurricane Katrina, protecting beautiful architecture took a back seat to the saving of people’s lives and public safety issues. Several swing-district House Republicans praised Speaker Mike Johnson for pushing forward with the foreign aid bills and attacked his detractors.

A square, symmetrical exterior

The last time I went with Momma to look at white folks’ houses, it was my idea, and she didn’t want to go. We offer you extensive information about the history of art, analyses of famous artworks, artist biopics, information on architecture, literature, photography, painting, and drawing. John Randolph commissioned famous architect Henry Howard of New Orleans to create the huge home with the intent of sparing no cost in its construction. Newton Richards, a renowned mason, built the double-curved granite stairs that lead to the second floor.

Defining Characteristics of Antebellum Homes

Cluskey was an Irish immigrant who came to New York and trained in an architectural firm. How the emptying oaks stood tall and stretched out, like they were pretending to be bigger than they were. How, from the street where we stood, it looked like the stairs skipped the yard and went straight to the front porch, splitting four Corinthian columns in two, resting in the shadow of a small balcony perched above. How, from the balcony on the white house, my Black momma and me, her Black son, would have looked out of place—Momma was outside, and I was a free man—when Stanton was built.

St. Joseph Plantation

From charity galas and private parties to photoshoots and corporate retreats, the Sowden House provides a unique and distinctive setting for any event. The estate features a sprawling living room with a grand piano and dramatic city views, a formal dining room, and an enclosed inner courtyard with a secluded pool and jacuzzi. Infamous for its distinctive design and colorful history, the Sowden House has hosted everything from photoshoots and non-profit events to films and TV shows. There are even suspicions that the house might hold the key to the notoriously unsolved “Black Dahlia” murder case of 1947.

Kate’s daughter, Elisabeth, inherited the plantation after her mother’s death in 1936 and decided to turn the plantation into a museum for all to enjoy. Today, the grounds are well-maintained and feature beautiful gardens that are worth exploring. The house stood as a testament to the prosperity that had flowed before the Civil War in Southern cities like Columbus, just over the border from Alabama, as fertile soil and the labor of enslaved workers built fortunes. Wavering Place’s main residence is a two-story brick residence with a central corridor flanked by four rooms on each floor. The house’s facade is exquisitely ornamented with delicate mouldings and boasts a wide front porch with decorative columns.

Christina Donnelly is a lifestyle expert writer covering stories in home décor and gardening. She also has expertise in pets, which comes from her 12 years of volunteering for animal welfare organizations, such as the ASPCA and Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. Her work has appeared on Nick.com, Healthline.com, and Sharecare.com, among others. “Ain’t nothing grand about misery,” she said to herself before pulling the car door closed.

Last two antebellum homes in Starkville for sale; one could be torn down - The Commercial Dispatch

Last two antebellum homes in Starkville for sale; one could be torn down.

Posted: Fri, 18 Aug 2017 07:00:00 GMT [source]

It was also a highlight of the longstanding tradition known as Pilgrimage. Every spring, the city’s finest antebellum homes are opened to the public for a few weeks, inviting people in to marvel at the craftsmanship and the opulence. Arlington House is significant not just for its architectural and historical value, but also for its position in the history of the United States military. During the Civil War, the Union Army took the home and transformed it into a military cemetery, which is today known as Arlington National Cemetery.

What Are the Antebellum Architecture Characteristics?

Arlington House is a historic residence in Arlington, Virginia, popularly known as the Robert E. Lee Memorial. The home is designed in the Antebellum architecture style, with towering columns, a grand central staircase, and a massive portico overlooking the Potomac River. As previously mentioned, you probably won't find many new construction homes in the southern style. However, you can find a large collection of southern homes across the American South in states like North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee.

The largest of the “Big Houses” remaining in Louisiana is Nottoway, built in 1857 by John Hampden Randolph who amassed a great fortune in sugar. The house has 50 rooms, which were certainly needed, as John Randolph had 11 children. Inside, one cannot escape the beauty and elegance of its famous White Ballroom, once the site of balls that would go on late into the night.

Enslaved person, I thought, before correcting my own correction out loud. While she drove and listened to radio static, then Motown, then soul, I paged through a short book about the houses we were going to look at. The book was Natchez of Long Ago and the Pilgrimage, written by Katherine Miller, the woman credited with starting the Pilgrimage home tour during her tenure as president of the Natchez Garden Club in the 1920s and 30s. I had spent years as a sociologist trying to understand how places come to tell human stories.

States will also be required to be more transparent in how much they pay for home care services and how they set those rates, increasing the accountability for home care providers. Over seven million seniors and people with disabilities, alongside their families, rely on home and community-based services to provide for long-term care needs in their own homes and communities. This critical care is provided by a dedicated home care workforce, made up disproportionately by women of color, that often struggles to make ends meet due to low wages and few benefits.

New city planners demolished some of this Southern architecture style to make way for smaller and more practical houses. They turned other antebellum mansions into schools, hospitals, municipal buildings, and museums. Many of these museums seek to show the complicated past of the enslaved people and the interesting architectural style.

These verandas were more than simply a feature of the houses; they were a way of life and a symbol of Southern hospitality. These were frequently outfitted with comfy chairs and served as a gathering spot for socialising and enjoying the outdoors. From exquisite mouldings and carvings to enormous staircases and balustrades, these characteristics are a monument to the builders’ ability and craftsmanship. The use of classical themes and patterns was intended to convey a sense of refinement and elegance, as well as wealth and grandeur. When we say that Antebellum architecture is inspired by Classical Architecture, we just don’t mean the aesthetic! Torrential rains and hurricanes are common in the American south, so many homes were propped up on first-story basements.

These structures are all artifacts too, and the fact that there are so few originals still standing tells a story. I remembered the question as Momma and I taxied away from Stanton Hall toward Melrose, our last stop of the day. There were no other cars, and no other people, and a few minutes after we pulled in, there was no us.

Keeping cool and comfortable throughout the hot summer months was a major priority for Southern homes. As a result, many antebellum structures had broad, open verandas and vast, airy rooms with plenty of ventilation. Antebellum Architecture reflected the time’s culture and ideals, from the value of family and community to the reliance on agriculture and the land. These structures were built to impress and often served as part of big social events such as balls and celebrations. Antebellum architecture style began in the late 18th century and flourished until the American Civil War.

Some of the must-have French Colonial characteristics include square, wooden facades with a central front door and two windows. These homes often boast a large, wrap-around porch as their key element. The deep overhangs of the roof shield the interior of the house from direct sunlight of the south.