Jaimee Stevenson
Professor Robert Bomboy
Humanities 101
Classical Architecture Critique
The building that I have chosen for my classical architecture
critique is the Warehime-Myers Mansion located in Hanover, Pennsylvania. The
building was originally built in 1911 to be the residence of Clinton N. Myers,
one of the owners of the Hanover Shoe Company. Since then, it has been
purchased by William Warehime and been donated to the Hanover Area Historical
Society (HAHS, web).
This historic piece of architecture represents an Ionic
order style of build. The columns are very tall and slightly narrower than what
you would see in a Doric order or Corinthian order style column. What really
stands out as being an Ionic order, though, is the style of capital being used
here. The capital sits right on top of each column, and for this order the
capitals are examples of volutes, or scrolls. I find this to be the most
ornamental style of capital and the most pleasant to look at. The swirls above
the columns give the building a delicate yet structured look. The bases of
these columns are thicker and taller then what one would see in a standard Ionic
style. The larger bases give the building a very sturdy appearance and shows
off the marble finish nicely.
In
an Ionic style column, there are three foundations that make up the
entablature. The entablature is what lays on top of the capitals, and what
makes up the roof above the columns. The architrave is the solid platform that
lays directly above the swirls, and we can see that this building has modern
lights built into it. The frieze is the platform that sits above the architrave
which, in this example, shows off the marble that the front of the building is
made of. However, in ancient Greek architecture, the frieze would often have designs
or pictures engraved into the stone. Lastly, the cornice is the ledge directly
above the frieze that supports the roof. The cornice is less structural and
more decorative to give the building dimension. (Fiero, 123)
One
of the reasons the Ionic order was chosen for this building is because of the
building material used, in this case, marble. The Doric order could have been
used, however, the Ionic order portrays a fancier look and finish. The
Corinthian order is perhaps the fanciest of the orders and may have been
difficult to carve into the marble. Another reason for using the Ionic order is
because of the height of the building. The Ionic columns are known for being
tall and slender and are best fitted for the mansion (Fiero, 124).
In
today’s society, the mansion conveys a historical message which is the reason
the mansion has not been remodeled or torn down. In the time that the mansion
was built, the city of Hanover was still being established and was considerably
smaller. The original owner of the mansion was a wealthy and corporate individual
who owned one of Hanover’s largest companies at the time. His residence was
built to represent his stand in society and was meant to look superior and high-standard.
The
mansion is located directly in the heart of Hanover, and is meant to be seen
and admired by locals. My perception of the mansion is that it is an
astonishingly beautiful work of architecture. The use of an old-style classical
order is not common on modern homes, so seeing a residency with the use of a Classical
Greek order would lead me to believe that this is the home of someone important
who made a mark in history, in this case the history of my hometown.
Greek
styles are not the only styles that can be seen on the mansion. Roman
architecture styles enhance the building’s Greek order columns. The front door
of the mansion is based off of a Roman style of build. Rather than using the
post and lintel style doorway, the Romans were one of the first to portray the style
of arched doorways and vaulted structures. The arched doorway gives the mansion
a more contrasted appearance and reflects the Greek style pillars nicely. The two
bottom windows are also arched, another example of Roman architectural style
that compliments the arched doorway. (Fiero, 153)
Andrea
Palladio designed a piece of architecture named “La Rotonda,” which has many
similarities when compared to the Warehime-Myers Mansion. Perhaps the most evident
similarity between these two buildings is the use of the Ionic order. Instead
of a dome shaped roof, apparent on La Rotonda, the mansion has a large window on
the roof that is similar in appearance. Also on the roof of La Rotonda can be
seen two vent-like figures. The mansion has two windows similar in shape and in
the same location as the vents, which leads me to believe the windows are a
modernized accent of what used to be vents. It is evident that La Rotonda is
very similar in style to the Warehime-Myers mansion and could have very likely
been used as an inspiration for this historic foundation. (La Rotonda, web)
The
Warehime-Myers Mansion is an accurate example of what an Ionic order column
looks like, and is accented with Roman features such as the arched doorway. The
Builders of the mansion were inspired by similar works of art such as La
Rotonda, and many other elegant pieces of architecture. Buildings that utilize ancient
styles such as Greek styles or Roman styles are designed to portray superiority
and stability. Classical orders can be seen on other buildings of importance
such as banks and courthouses, however, there are much fewer residencies that depict
the ancient styles. For this reason, the Warehime-Myers Mansion is a delicacy
and will remain a part of Hanover’s history that will typify the ancient Greek
and Roman cultures.
Works Cited
"Home Page for Hanover Area
Historical Society." Home Page for Hanover Area Historical Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.
"LA ROTONDA." La Rotonda.
N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.
"Historic Landmarks Commission." Historic
Landmarks Commission. N.p., n.d. Web.
18 Feb.
2014.
Fiero, Gloria K. "Chapter Five." The
Humanistic Tradition. Boston: McGraw
Hill, 2006. 122-25.
Print.
Fiero, Gloria K. "Chapter Six." The
Humanistic Tradition. Boston: McGraw
Hill, 2006. 152-54.
Print.
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