Athenwood at Montpelier, Vermont built 1850

Springside in Poughkeepsie, New York

Carpenter Gothic, also sometimes called Carpenter's Gothic, and Rural Gothic, is a North American architectural style-designation for an application of Gothic Revival architectural detailing and picturesque massing applied to wooden structures built by house-carpenters. Athenwood located at Montpelier in the US state of Vermont was the home of Thomas Waterman Wood ( November 12, 1823 Montpelier (mɒntˈpiːljɚ is a city in the US state of Vermont that serves as the state Capital and The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement which began Picturesque is an Aesthetic ideal first introduced into English cultural debate in 1782 by William Gilpin in Observations of the River Wye and Several Parts The abundance of North American timber and the carpenter-built vernacular architectures based upon it made a picturesque improvisation upon Gothic a natural evolution. Vernacular Architecture is a term used to categorize methods of Construction which use locally available resources to address local needs Carpenter Gothic improvises upon features that were carved in stone in authentic Gothic architecture, whether original or in more scholarly revival styles; however, in the absence of the restraining influence of genuine Gothic structures,^[1] the style was freed to improvise and emphasize charm and quaintness rather than fidelity to received models. See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. The genre received its impetus from the publication by Alexander Jackson Davis, Rural Residences and from detailed plans and elevations in publications by Andrew Jackson Downing. Alexander Jackson Davis (AJ Davis ( July 24, 1803 &ndash January 14, 1892) was one of the most successful and influential American architects Andrew Jackson Downing ( October 30, 1815 &ndash July 28, 1852) was an American Landscape designer and Writer, a prominent

History

Oak Hill Cottage, Mansfield, Ohio: Carpenter Gothic trim on a brick house in the manner of A.J. Davis's Rural Residences

Carpenter Gothic houses and small churches became common in North America in the late nineteenth century. Oak Hill Cottage, built in 1847 by John Robinson superintendent of the Sandusky Mansfield and Newark Railroad, is an historic Gothic Revival brick house Alexander Jackson Davis (AJ Davis ( July 24, 1803 &ndash January 14, 1892) was one of the most successful and influential American architects ^[2] These structures adapted Gothic elements such as pointed arches, steep gables, and towers to traditional American light-frame construction. Framing, in construction known as light frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members usually called studs, which provide a stable The invention of the scroll saw and mass-produced wood moldings allowed a few of these structures to mimic the florid fenestration of the High Gothic. A scroll saw is a small electric or pedal operated Saw useful for cutting intricate curves where a Jigsaw or Coping saw is not appropriate it is capable But in most cases, Carpenter Gothic buildings were relatively unadorned, retaining only the basic elements of pointed-arch windows and steep gables. Probably the best known example of Carpenter Gothic is the house in Eldon, Iowa, that Grant Wood used for the background of his famous painting American Gothic. Eldon is a city in Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 998 at the 2000 census Grant DeVolson Wood ( February 13, 1891 &ndash February 12, 1942) was an American painter, born in Anamosa, American Gothic is a Painting by Grant Wood from 1930 Portraying a Pitchfork -holding farmer and a younger woman (imagined to be his ^[3]

Characteristics

Carpenter Gothic is largely confined to small domestic buildings and outbuildings and small churches. It is characterized by its profusion of jig-sawn details, whose craftsmen-designers were freed to experiment with elaborate forms by the invention of the steam-powered scroll saw. A scroll saw is a small electric or pedal operated Saw useful for cutting intricate curves where a Jigsaw or Coping saw is not appropriate it is capable A common but not necessary feature is board and batten siding. A batten is a thin strip of solid material (usually Wood) Battens are used for various purposes in Building construction, as well as other various fields A less common feature is buttressing, especially on churches and larger houses. A buttress is an architectural structure built against (a counterfort) or projecting from a Wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall

Ornamental use

Carpenter Gothic ornamentation is not limited to use on wooden structures but has been used successfully on other structures especially Gothic Revival brick houses such as the Warren House in an Historic District of Newbugh, New York, Historic District, which is said to epitomize the work of Andrew Jackson Downing, but was actually done by his one-time partner, Calvert Vaux. A brick is a block of Ceramic material used in Masonry construction laid using mortar. The Montgomery-Grand-Liberty Streets Historic District was the first of two to be designated in the city of Newburgh, New York, USA. Calvert Vaux ( December 20, 1824 – November 19, 1895) was an architect and landscape designer

Geographic extent

Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Eastsound, Orcas Island Washington

Carpenter Gothic structures are typically found in most parts of the U. Emmanuel Episcopal Church is an historic Carpenter Gothic church located on Main Street in Eastsound on Orcas Island Washington. S. , and in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime Provinces in Canada. Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk The Maritime provinces, called the Maritimes in local English (or the Canadian Maritimes by non-Canadians is a region of Eastern Canada ^[4] In British Columbia, the remarkable Church of the Holy Cross, Skatin is a Canadian national historic site. British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C The Church of the Holy Cross is a National Historic Site, located on the reserve of the Skatin First Nation, in southwestern British Columbia This is a complete list of the National Historic Sites of Canada. A campaign is underway to restore it to its former glory. ^[5] Also in British Columbia is the Church of Our Lord, built in 1874 in Victoria. The Church of Our Lord, built in 1876 and located at 626 Blanshard Street Victoria British Columbia, is an historic Carpenter Gothic church that is a recognized Victoria (vɪkˈtɔɹiə is the capital city of British Columbia.

Endangered Carpenter Gothic buildings

Many American Carpenter Gothic structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which may help to insure their preservation. The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of Many, though, are not listed and those in urban areas are endangered by the increased value of the land they occupy. A current example of this is St. Saviour's Episcopal Church, Maspeth, New York, built in 1847 by Richard Upjohn. Maspeth is a small community in the borough of Queens in New York City. Richard Upjohn ( 22 January, 1802 - 16 August, 1878) was an English -born Architect who emigrated to the United ^[6]. Its rectory has already been demolished and a deal with the city of New York to preserve the church in exchange for higher density on the remaining vacant land has fallen through and the parcel is now on the market for $10 million. The City of New York ^[7]

Relocation

Some Carpenter Gothic buildings have been relocated for reasons ranging from historic preservation to aesthetics. A structure relocation is the process of moving a Structure from one location to another Historic preservation or heritage conservation is a professional endeavor that seeks to preserve the ability of older (e Aesthetics or esthetics ( also spelled æsthetics) is commonly known as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values sometimes called Some such as All Saints, Jensen Beach, Florida have been moved only a few hundred feet on the same property to in order to get a better view and to allow for expansion, while others such as Holy Apostles, Satellite Beach, Florida have been barged many miles in order to be preserved. All Saints' Episcopal Church Waveland, is an historic Carpenter Gothic church built in 1898 on Crossroads Hill in Waveland, now part of Jensen Beach Florida Holy Apostles Episcopal Church, is an historic Carpenter Gothic church located today at 505 Grant Avenue in Satellite Beach Florida in the United States Others such as All Saints, DeQuicy, Louisiana have been dismantled, transported long distances and then reassembled in order to be preserved and reused. Some structures have been moved many times.

St. Luke's, Cahaba, Alabama has had an interesting history of moves. St Luke's Episcopal Church is a historic Carpenter Gothic church which was built in 1854 at Cahaba, the first capital of Alabama. In 1876, due to the danger of flooding in Cahaba, which was then the capital of Alabama, it was dismantled and moved from its original location 25 miles or so to Browns where it was reassembled. Alabama (formally the State of Alabama;) is a State located in the southern region of the United States of America. In 2006-2007, it was carefully dismantled by students from Auburn University and moved back to Cahaba, where it is now being reassembled by the students on the Cahaba State Historic Site not too far from its original location. Auburn University ( AU or Auburn) is a State university located in Auburn, Alabama, U

Outside North America

The designation "Carpenter's Gothic" might equally be applied to nineteenth-century Gothic carpenter-built structures of New Zealand and New South Wales. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island

Current use

Christ Church, Fort Meade Florida

Carpenter Gothic structures are still being built today. Christ Church (Episcopal is an historic Carpenter Gothic church in Fort Meade, Florida. St. Luke's Church in Blue Ridge, Georgia was built in 1995,^[8] while Carpenter Gothic house plans are available. Blue Ridge is a city in Fannin County, Georgia, United States. ^[9]

Steamboat Gothic

Steamboat Gothic architecture, a term popularized by Frances Parkinson Keyes novel of that name,^[10] is sometimes confused with Carpenter Gothic architecture,^[11][12] but Steamboat Gothic usually refers to large houses in the Mississippi and Ohio river valleys that were designed to resemble the steamboats on those rivers. Frances Parkinson Keyes ( July 21, 1885 &ndash July 3, 1970) was an American author and a convert to Roman Catholicism whose works A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving a Propeller ^[13]

Gallery

Churches, synagogues, etc.

Grace Episcopal Church (Georgetown, Colorado)	Pioneer Gothic Church, Dwight, Illinois, originally a Presbyterian church	Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo, California, California, originally a Methodist church	All Saints Episcopal Church (Enterprise, Florida)
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church (Prairieville, Alabama) Note the buttresses. Grace Episcopal Church is an historic Carpenter Gothic church in Georgetown Colorado. The Pioneer Gothic Church is located in the village of Dwight, Illinois, United States. Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo is a Unitarian Universalist congregation located in San Mateo California. The All Saint's Episcopal Church is an historic Carpenter Gothic church in Enterprise, Florida, United States. St Andrew's Episcopal Church, also known as St Andrew's Church, in Prairieville Alabama, is a small Carpenter Gothic style church built in 1853	La Grange Church, Titusville, Florida, originally non-denominational Protestant	St. Mark's Episcopal Church (Palatka, Florida). The La Grange Church and Cemetery is an historic Carpenter Gothic church and Cemetery in Titusville, Florida, United States St Mark's Episcopal Church is an historic Carpenter Gothic Episcopal church located at 200 Main Street in Palatka, Florida in Note the buttresses at the base of the belfry.	St. Luke's Episcopal Church and Cemetery (Courtenay, Florida)
Grace Episcopal Church and Guild Hall (Port Orange, Florida)	Andrews Memorial Chapel (Dunedin, Florida), originally a Presbyterian church	Bethany Memorial Chapel (Kendrick, Idaho), originally a Norwegian Lutheran church	United Hebrews of Ocala (Florida), synagogue, now Ocala Bible Chapel. St Luke's Episcopal Church and Cemetery, also known as the Old St Grace Episcopal Church and Guild Hall The Andrews Memorial Chapel is an historic Carpenter Gothic style former Presbyterian church building now located at 1899 San Mateo Drive at Buena Vista in Bethany Memorial Chapel was built by Norwegian homesteaders who settled in the Big Bear Ridge area north of Kendrick in rural Latah County, Idaho. The former United Hebrews of Ocala Synagogue is an historic Carpenter Gothic building located at 729 N
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church (Fruitland Park, Florida)	Tualatin Plains Presbyterian Church, Hillsboro, Oregon	Chapel of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church (Melbourne, Florida)	St. Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, an historic Carpenter Gothic church located at 2201 Spring Lake Road in Fruitland Park, Florida, is listed on The Tualatin Plains Presbyterian Church, better known as the Old Scotch Church, is a church and national historic site located in Hillsboro, Oregon, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, founded in 1884 and now located at 50 West Strawbridge Avenue in Melbourne, Florida, in the United States, is an historic Paul's Episcopal Church, Lowndesboro, Alabama
St. Lowndesboro is a town in Lowndes County, Alabama, United States. John's Episcopal Church, Forkland, Alabama	St. Luke's Episcopal Church (Cahaba, Alabama)at Martin's Station, Alabama, 2002. Forkland is a town in Greene County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 629 St Luke's Episcopal Church is a historic Carpenter Gothic church which was built in 1854 at Cahaba, the first capital of Alabama.	St. Margaret's Episcopal Church (Hibernia, Florida). St Margaret's Episcopal Church and Cemetery

Houses

American Gothic House in Eldon, Iowa, used by Grant Wood in his famous painting. The American Gothic House (sometimes also the Dibble House) in Eldon Iowa is famous as the backdrop of Grant Wood 's 1930 painting Eldon is a city in Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 998 at the 2000 census Grant DeVolson Wood ( February 13, 1891 &ndash February 12, 1942) was an American painter, born in Anamosa,	Roseland Cottage, Woodstock, Connecticut	Roseland Cottage - general view	Cottages in a former Methodist camp town in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts on Martha's Vineyard. Roseland Cottage, also known as Henry C Bowen House or as Bowen Cottage, is a historic house located on Route 169 in Woodstock Connecticut. Oak Bluffs is a town located on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States.
Another view of cottages in Oak Bluffs,.	Peters-Liston-Wintermeier House in Eugene, Oregon	Wilson-Durbin House in Salem, Oregon	Jay and Henry Knox House, Saint Paul, Minnesota
Justin Smith Morrill Homestead Strafford, Vermont	Athenwood, Montpelier, Vermont	Waldwic, Hale County, Alabama	J. Mora Moss House in Mosswood Park, Oakland, California

Ornamental use

Warren House, Gothic Revival brick house with Carpenter Gothic trim and features, Newburgh, New York, Historic District

See also

• American Gothic
• Andrew Jackson Downing
• Richard Upjohn
• Springside
• Structure relocation
• United Hebrews of Ocala, a Carpenter Gothic synagogue

References

External links

• The Carpenter Gothic, 1840-1870 on The Old House Web
• Gothic Revival (including Carpenter Gothic (1840-1880)) with Churches through 1940s
• Carpenter Gothic houses
• Bargeboards or vergeboards
• Gothic Revival and Carpenter Gothic in Buffalo
• The serious side of Carpenter Gothic: Richard Upjohn and St. Saviour's Church, Maspeth, Queens, New York
• Website of the C.G. House used by Grant Wood
• Village of Round Lake, New York