Glidden Street, Newcastle, Maine
from New England Home
November / December 2007
Beyond the idyllic scene – the charming symmetry of maples and black shutters against white snow, and the glowing interior welcoming Dad, kids and dog home –there’s a design revolution going on in this house, according to Maine architect Chris Glass. The house, says Glass, represents an early nineteenth-century switch in popular style, from colonial, Federal and Georgian to Greek Revival.
Houses like this one were built to resemble ancient temples, complete with heavy pilasters in front. Homebuilders of the period sympathized with Greek patriots rebelling against Turkish oppression, and were inspired by ancient Greek democracy. The style didn’t last, however, says Glass, partly because the temple fronts were too narrow to accommodate a central door, which necessitated putting stairs to the side which, in turn, made the windows appear goofily unbalanced right to left.
Text By Louis Postel ï Photography By Brian Vanden Brink