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Architectural Monographs: Early Wood Houses of Central New York

Posted on March 29, 2014October 21, 2021 by Jeff Easterling

Believing that the colonial buildings of New England are the standard upon which America’s greatest architecture should continue to be based, the authors of the bi-monthly publication ‘The White Pine Series of Architectural Monographs’ frequently pointed out the inferior quality of virtually anything built after the year 1830. The Classic revival, in particular, was seen as grotesquely overdone, lacking all of the simple elegance of earlier structures. In this issue, published in the year 1918, the authors focus on the beauty of the early wood-built houses of central New York.

“It is not necessary to dwell at length upon the horrors that succeeded the decline of the Greek revival and the lack of appreciation of the old work which became manifest when so-called ‘modern’ improvements were introduced,” they write. “Suffice it to say that from the author’s observations the post-Colonial buildings of Central New York have suffered more at the hands of ‘progress’ than have those in any other section of the country.”

So they take us instead to the early days of towns like New Hartford, Vernon, Oneida, Lenox and Skaneateles to celebrate the dwellings that represented, at the time, the pinnacle of local architecture. The primary allure of these homes, aside from the excellent craftsmanship and attention to detail, was the lack of pretension, even among the larger homes of the wealthiest residents.

See more examples and read the text at the White Pine Monograph Library.

Architectural Monographs: The Eastern End of Long Island, NY

Posted on October 25, 2013October 21, 2021 by Jeff Easterling

The remaining colonial architecture of the eastern end of Long Island, New York, may not be grand and impressive, but it represents some of the oldest structures on the island, and many bear a quiet charm. Most were built almost entirely of wood, with brick chimneys, since stone was notably lacking on this narrow island stretching out between the Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. The oldest date back to about 1660.

Watermill, Patchogue, Easthampton and Southampton are among the towns in which colonial houses still stand. This issue of the White Pine Series of Architectural Monographs, written in 1919, explores the architectural styles that make these buildings stand apart from other colonial structures, and provides a number of examples.

“The unstudied relation of openings to wall-surface and story heights of most of these simple houses seems to make them perfect examples of wooden design. The great simplicity which is their main feature, combined with a naivete in design, adds to their charm. In no case do we find very grand houses, even the neo-classic examples being human in scale, and it is their utilization as ‘partis’ which is the chief architectural characteristic, giving value to these houses in a work of this kind.”

Read more at the White Pine Monograph Library.

Architectural Monographs: Greek Revival in Owego, New York

Posted on September 13, 2013October 21, 2021 by Jeff Easterling

An architect who was not exactly the biggest fan of the Greek Revival style was sent by the editor of the Architectural Monographs to write a piece on such homes in New York, finding them to have, at least a little bit, an unexpected charm. Author Alexander B. Trowbridge jokes that perhaps seeing such a house was what led to the temperance movement, as a group of drinkers saw ‘certain queer shapes frisking on the roof just above the eaves.’ He writes, “The experience sobered them and the temperance society followed.”

“Why the citizens of this section of our country chose pseudo-Greek architecture translated rather unintelligently into wood is a secret that disappeared with the whiskers. It is clear, however, that the finest homes of that period indicated an approval of the Greek revival by the best families. Why does the average educated architect dismiss the Greek Revival with a shrug? Is it not because he notes that the translation from the stone architecture of classic days to a white pine treatment was merely badly done?”

Trowbridge argues that the giant wooden porticoes and pediments in wood are out of scale, and clumsy at times. But from the houses built in this style, something could be learned. Using the Greek style as inspiration, rather than imitating it, is the only way to incorporate such bold and ornamental details into Colonial American architecture, he says.

Architectural Monographs: Forgotten Farmhouses on Manhattan Island

Posted on August 9, 2013October 21, 2021 by Jeff Easterling

21st century Manhattan is one of the most thoroughly urban places in the world, its relatively small land area packed with an astonishing number of high-rise buildings. So, it’s easy to forget that farmhouses once stood on famous streets like Broadway. By 1923, when this volume of the historic White Pine Architectural Monographs was written, just a few Colonial houses remained in Greater New York, and there are even fewer today (two notable examples being Dyckman Farmhouse, now a museum, and the Edgar Allan Poe Cottage in The Bronx.)

At the beginning of the 19th century, Greenwich Village, Chelsea, Bowery, Harlem, Murray Hill and other neighborhoods were just small individual settlements with a dozen or so farmhouses each, plus stores, churches, blacksmiths and doctors. It wasn’t until the 1880s that these farmhouses began to disappear. The author of this article reports that “enormous, ugly brownstone ‘flats’ were rearing their galvanized cornices in the air on every hand. The few scattered farm lots that remained seemed to be waiting in a sullen kind of way for the time when they too should be absorbed in the mad rush of flimsy, unsanitary Jerry-building.”

In 1923, the last of Manhattan’s farmhouses were among the only wooden structures in the city. Some of these homes dated back to the mid-1700s. Many were left in a state of disrepair, so it’s not surprising that they were torn down without regard for historical preservation. Check out Volume IX, Issue I of the White Pine Monographs for details and photographs.

Wrote Daniel Denton in 1670 of these homes, “Though their low-roofed houses may seem to shut their doors against pride and luxury, yet how do they stand wide open to let charity in and out, either to assist each other, or to relieve a stranger.”