Spanish Colonial Revival style architecture is one of many idioms identified by the National Register program under "Late 19" and Early 20th Century Revival Styles." United by their roots in traditional European and Colonial American architecture, this eclectic group includes architecture styles that represent a diverse expression of architectural forms and features.
Beginning in the late nineteenth century, European-trained architects began designing new mansions in classically influenced styles for wealthy American clients. During this period, formal architectural study regularly included extended trips to Europe and, as a result, new American buildings increasingly resembled the historic architecture of Britain, France, Italy, and other European nations. The trend strengthened following the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where the nation's leading architects drew heavily from Greek and Roman historical precedents when designing the exposition buildings.
Because American dwellings were typically of wood-frame construction and European architecture was primarily of masonry construction, until World War I, the influences of European period revival architecture were mainly visible in commercial and institutional buildings. By the end of the war, changes in building technology made it possible to apply a thin veneer of brick or stone to traditional American balloon frame construction, enabling even modest dwellings to adapt the architectural vocabulary of Europe." The European influence on American architecture continued after World War I, when GI's returned with ideas about European architecture that were adapted for use in new residential and commercial designs.
Spanish Colonial Revival architecture incorporates details from a spectrum of Spanish design influences, including Moorish, Byzantine, Gothic, and Renaissance inspirations. Spanish architecture is one of the most rich and varied of the historic European styles. Common features include low-pitched roofs with tight eaves, red tile roofs, arched window and door openings, and asymmetrical facades. Other key identifiers of this idiom include carved wood doors, thin spiral columns, carved stonework, patterned tiles, multiple-pane glazing, decorative window grilles, wrought iron railings, and balconies. - NRHP, 15 July 2005
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