Blog Archives
Italians, In a Classical Mood
The influences of historic architectural styles in the early part of the twentieth century make a for a rich body of work to discover in Midtown Montgomery. We can see the influence of broader architectural education everywhere. Dear Old A.P.I. (now more popularly known as Auburn University) opened their Architecture program in 1905 and, if […]
Who can begin to understand the French?
I think I just need to go to France in order to properly understand French influence on American architecture. It just doesn’t seem quite as straightforward as British, Irish, and Scottish influence. I do think the best way to solve the problem is to take a trip and and survey the architecture of the country […]
The Academic or Eclectic Styles: Neo-Classical
The turn of the twentieth century was an exciting time for architecture. Prosperity meant that people had money to spend on new houses and buildings while paying people to design them. Public and higher education was available to more people, and for the first time, academically trained architects were available beyond the east coast bastions […]
Bungalows and Craftsman Houses
Editor’s note: This is the latest in a series of posts about architecture in Montgomery. For earlier installments of the series by Elizabeth Ann Brown, click here. — From the mansions of Perry Street to the cottages of Martha Street, people in Montgomery took advantage of the materials brought to them by the Industrial Revolution […]
Colonial Revival
Time and events coincided to turn the interest of American architecture away from the excesses of the Victorian Era and toward the country’s historical roots. In 1876 our country celebrated its centennial with celebrations and commemorations all over the country. If you were alive in 1976, you probably remember “Bicentennial Fever” sweeping the nation in […]
The Victorians
If Bob Dylan had been alive in the 1870’s, he could have sung, “The times, they are a-changing,” to much the same effect as he did in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Times had actually already been changing before the Civil War, but as the building trades began to revive after Reconstruction, people suddenly gained access […]
Cloverdale SmartCode Update
Last Thursday and Friday the City of Montgomery’s Planning Department held public meetings in the basement of the Cloverdale Playhouse. The meetings were open-ended, come-when-you-can affairs, designed to share information about the Planning Department’s proposal for implementing SmartCode in the Five Points business district. Like many folks from all over Midtown, we wandered down to […]
American Memory
As I’ve blogged about antebellum architectural styles in Montgomery, I’ve been surprised by the number of times the examples that came to mind were moved, altered to the point they weren’t good examples, or worse, gone entirely. One of the old axioms of historic preservation is that poverty is its best friend (for a while, […]
More that Just a Pretty Face: A Historic Guide to Exterior Paint
I came across this wonderfully researched and written article by Megan Lord originally published in the Preservation in Print, December 2009/January 2010 edition, circulated by the Preservation Resource Center in New Orleans. It was such a concise professional analysis of an issue we all constantly deal with living in our historic homes in Midtown. She […]
The Case for Historic Designation
It’s not often that I am a loss for words. But some weeks ago when I received a frantic email and photo of the “addition” being constructed on Glen Grattan, words failed me. Finally, I regained my wits and inquired whether the owner had obtained a building permit. I was shattered to learn that he […]
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