Manipulating scale, old-school.

13 years ago

This house belongs to an acquaintance of mine and I just came across it in the PruFoxRoach listings.

It was designed by William Strickland, and it is a Gothic(k) Cottage. What Strickland wanted to do was make it look like a quaint riverfront cottage.

Please ignore the 1950s era enclosed porch. My friend has a bunch of valuable but rather depressing documentation of the original front porch and back conservatory--high gothic tracery--being enclosed in concrete block. The front door to the porch really gives away the illusion

The house is huge (5000 sq. not including basements) and has 12 or so foot ceilings on the first floor. Even the tiny looking casements on the upper story are substantial-sized windows.

The furniture *is deco, but the wallcovering is actually per

iod-appropriate to the era of the house

Quite different from now where architects want to make even the smallest of houses look big and imposing.

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Comments (6)

roarah
13 years ago
I am more familar with his greek revival style, but I love the house here! I have always loved gothic revival homes. I rented this one years ago and loved the cozy feeling of the low ceilings.

Here is a link that might be useful: gothic house from my deep dark past:)

This post was edited by roarah on Tue, Jun 11, 13 at 18:38
roarah
13 years ago
Is this an original drawing of the front porch?

This post was edited by roarah on Tue, Jun 11, 13 at 19:35
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palimpsest
Original Author
13 years ago
Yes. Notice how they minimize the scale. It still has the crenellations on the back wing.
palimpsest
Original Author
13 years ago
roarah
13 years ago
Was this done to be more welcoming? Or to make one appear more modest? Being based on religious architecture, was it to down play man's place within the grand scheme of things or was it just the fashion of the style?
palimpsest
Original Author
13 years ago
I think it was to make it appear more modest, because it was a country house. As one of the few houses on the riverfront in 1840 it would be hard to discern the scale from the water, with nothing around it.

There is actually a chapel of sorts in the house, behind the gothic arched window above the front entry.