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37-784: In 1959, a group of Georgetowners formed the City Tavern Association, in part to preserve the historic City Tavern, one of the oldest buildings in Washington, D.C. The old tavern, located just north of the C&;O Canal and near M Street and Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown, was beautifully restored and reopened as a private club in 1962. The clubhouse and its furnishings are fine examples of the American Federal style. The Washington Post called

74-870: A common "vocabulary" of decorative and constructive elements. In much of the Western world , different classical architectural styles have dominated the history of architecture from the Renaissance until World War II . Classical architecture continues to inform many architects. The term classical architecture also applies to any mode of architecture that has evolved to a highly refined state, such as classical Chinese architecture, or classical Mayan architecture. It can also refer to any architecture that employs classical aesthetic philosophy. The term might be used differently from "traditional" or " vernacular architecture " although it can share underlying axioms with it. For contemporary buildings following authentic classical principles,

111-501: A desire for an architecture based on clear rules and rationality. Claude Perrault , Marc-Antoine Laugier and Carlo Lodoli were among the first theorists of Neoclassicism, while Étienne-Louis Boullée , Claude Nicolas Ledoux , Friedrich Gilly and John Soane were among the more radical and influential. Neoclassical architecture held a particularly strong position on the architectural scene c.  1750 –1850. The competing neo-Gothic style however rose to popularity during

148-472: A dismal state of disrepair and housed a print shop on its street level. The building faced imminent demise and was scheduled to be razed and paved for a parking lot. A group of Georgetowners happened on the Tavern and, anxious to preserve the historic landmark they found hiding behind the façade of the ordinary print shop, formed the City Tavern Association. Through the association's determination and tireless work,

185-502: A distinct Byzantine style . The first conscious efforts to bring back the disused language of form of classical antiquity into Western architecture can be traced to the Carolingian Renaissance of the late 8th and 9th centuries. The gatehouse of Lorsch Abbey ( c.  800 ), in present-day Germany thus displays a system of alternating attached columns and arches which could be an almost direct paraphrase of e.g., that of

222-406: A flatter, smoother façade and rarely used pilasters . It was most influenced by the interpretation of ancient Roman architecture , fashionable after the unearthing of Pompeii and Herculaneum . The bald eagle was a common symbol used in this style, with the ellipse a frequent architectural motif. The classicizing manner of constructions and town planning undertaken by the federal government

259-462: A simple delineation of the scope of classical architecture is difficult to make. The more or less defining characteristic can still be said to be a reference to ancient Greek or Roman architecture, and the architectural rules or theories that derived from that architecture. In the grammar of architecture, the word petrification is often used when discussing the development of sacred structures such as temples, mainly with reference to developments in

296-502: A strict sense. During the Italian Renaissance and with the demise of Gothic style, major efforts were made by architects such as Leon Battista Alberti , Sebastiano Serlio and Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola to revive the language of architecture of first and foremost ancient Rome. This was done in part through the study of the ancient Roman architectural treatise De architectura by Vitruvius , and to some extent by studying

333-528: Is more or less consciously derived from the principles of Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity , or sometimes more specifically, from De architectura (c. 10 AD) by the Roman architect Vitruvius . Different styles of classical architecture have arguably existed since the Carolingian Renaissance , and prominently since the Italian Renaissance . Although classical styles of architecture can vary greatly, they can in general all be said to draw on

370-675: Is part of the Samuel McIntire Historic District containing 407 buildings, and the Salem Maritime National Historic Site , consisting of 12 historic structures and about 9 acres (4 ha) of land along the waterfront. Modern reassessment of the American architecture of the Federal period began with Fiske Kimball . Classical architecture Classical architecture usually denotes architecture which

407-534: The Battle of Germantown . In the years following the war, Sewall relocated his family to Georgetown and managed another significant inn known as the Fountain Inn (also known as Suter's Tavern ) on Fishing Lane (near the corner of today’s 31st and K Streets), where President Washington negotiated with local land owners to create the new Federal City. At the time, Georgetown was a separate municipality and thriving port in

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444-608: The Colosseum in Rome. Byzantine architecture , just as Romanesque and even to some extent Gothic architecture (with which classical architecture is often posed), can also incorporate classical elements and details but do not to the same degree reflect a conscious effort to draw upon the architectural traditions of antiquity; for example, they do not observe the idea of a systematic order of proportions for columns . In general, therefore, they are not considered classical architectural styles in

481-578: The Bank of Columbia next door, and President Adams stayed at the City Tavern when he came from Philadelphia to inspect the buildings under construction for the new national capital. On June 6, 1800, Adams was honored at a banquet in the Long Room of the Tavern where “the utmost harmony and conviviality prevailed,” and he gave the toast, “Georgetown - May its prosperity equal the ardent enterprise of its inhabitants, and

518-582: The City Tavern Club "one of the best examples of historic restoration in the city." The City Tavern was constructed in 1796 and first managed by Clement Sewall, who served in the Revolutionary War alongside his friend John Parke Custis , George Washington ’s stepson. Sewall enlisted as a sergeant at age 19 in the Maryland Line , was promoted six months later to ensign and then severely wounded at

555-570: The Greek world. During the Archaic and early Classical periods (about the 6th and early 5th centuries BC), the architectural forms of the earliest temples had solidified and the Doric emerged as the predominant element. The most widely accepted theory in classical studies is that the earliest temple structures were of wood and the great forms, or elements of architectural style, were codified and rather permanent by

592-846: The Renaissance. The Palladian architecture developed from the style of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580) had a great influence long after his death, above all in Britain, where it was adopted for many of the grander buildings of the Georgian architecture of the 18th and early 19th century. As a reaction to late Baroque and Rococo forms, architectural theorists from c.  1750 through what became known as Neoclassicism again consciously and earnestly attempted to emulate antiquity, supported by recent developments in Classical archaeology and

629-783: The United States Department of the Interior's National Park Service listed the City Tavern on the National Register of Historic Places on January 17, 1992. The City Tavern Club (CTC) is home to the Indian King Society (IKS); for part of its history, the City Tavern was renamed the Indian King Tavern, and to this day its outdoor sign is "The Sign of the Indian King." Members and guests come to CTC for intimate dinners in

666-598: The United States of the same time period. The style broadly corresponds to the classicism of Biedermeier style in the German -speaking lands, Regency architecture in Britain, and the French Empire style . It may also be termed Adamesque architecture . The White House and Monticello were setting stones for what Federal architecture has become. In the early United States, the founding generation consciously chose to associate

703-616: The West for much of Modern history . Even so, because of liberal, personal or theoretically diverse interpretations of the antique heritage, classicism covers a broad range of styles, some even so to speak cross-referencing, like Neo-Palladian architecture , which draws its inspiration from the works of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio , who himself drew inspiration from ancient Roman architecture. Furthermore, it can be argued that styles of architecture not typically considered classical, like Gothic, can contain classical elements. Therefore,

740-630: The actual remains of ancient Roman buildings in Italy. Nonetheless, the classical architecture of the Renaissance from the outset represents a highly specific interpretation of the classical ideas. In a building like the Ospedale degli Innocenti in Florence by Filippo Brunelleschi , one of the earliest Renaissance buildings (built 1419–1445), the treatment of the columns for example has no direct antecedent in ancient Roman architecture . During this time period,

777-418: The advent of Modernism during the early 20th century, classical architecture arguably almost ceased to be practised. As noted above, classical styles of architecture dominated Western architecture for a long time, roughly from the Renaissance until the advent of Modernism. That is to say, that classical antiquity at least in theory was considered the prime source of inspiration for architectural endeavours in

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814-550: The early 1800s, and the later part the 19th century was characterised by a variety of styles, some of them only slightly or not at all related to classicism (such as Art Nouveau ), and Eclecticism . Although classical architecture continued to play an important role and for periods of time at least locally dominated the architectural scene, as exemplified by the Nordic Classicism during the 1920s, classical architecture in its stricter form never regained its former dominance. With

851-447: The felicity of their situation.” On January 17, 1981, at an occasion to celebrate his upcoming inauguration, President Ronald Reagan alluded to that famous party in a toast he made at the Club. As he raised his glass, President Reagan quipped there was no truth to the rumor that he was present at the banquet honoring President Adams. Today, a portrait of Adams’ wife, Abigail Adams, hangs above

888-464: The functioning fireplace in the Long Room as a reminder of that momentous occasion over 200 years ago. Management of the City Tavern changed hands many times, and it was known variously as Semmes’ Tavern, The Indian King Tavern, the Columbian Inn, United States Hotel, Georgetown Hotel, and Morgan House, until 1898, when the building was converted to retail use. By 1960, the City Tavern had fallen into

925-575: The grand old tavern was restored to its original grandeur, while preserving its architectural authenticity, and it reopened as a private club in 1962. The clubhouse and its furnishings are fine examples of the American Federal period, which The Washington Post called, “one of the best examples of historic restoration in the city.” The District of Columbia added the City Tavern to the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites on November 8, 1964, and

962-531: The library, private luncheons in the Long Room, and elegant galas in the Great Hall. CTC also hosts many special events for both members and guests. Officers Federal architecture Federal-style architecture is the name for the classical architecture built in the United States following the American Revolution between c.   1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815, which

999-524: The nascent District of Columbia and the new City Tavern was one of several inns built to meet the growing demand for lodging. Located in the heart of Georgetown, the City Tavern served not only as a traditional lodging house but also as the meeting place for Georgetown’s governing body, the Georgetown Corporation and the location for elections and meetings of the Mayor’s Court. It also served as

1036-728: The nation with the ancient democracies of Greece and the republican values of Rome . Grecian aspirations informed the Greek Revival , lasting into the 1850s. Using Roman architectural vocabulary, the Federal style applied to the balanced and symmetrical version of Georgian architecture that had been practiced in the American colonies ' new motifs of neoclassical architecture as it was epitomized in Britain by Robert Adam , who published his designs in 1792. American Federal architecture typically uses plain surfaces with attenuated detail, usually isolated in panels, tablets, and friezes . It also had

1073-545: The quintessential New England meeting house, with their lofty and complex towers by architects such as Lavius Fillmore and Asher Benjamin . This American neoclassical high style was the idiom of America's first professional architects, such as Charles Bulfinch and Minard Lafever . Robert Adam and James Adam were leading influences through their books. In Salem, Massachusetts , there are numerous examples of American colonial architecture and Federal architecture in two historic districts: Chestnut Street District , which

1110-411: The study of ancient architecture developed into the architectural theory of classical architecture; somewhat over-simplified, that classical architecture in its variety of forms ever since have been interpretations and elaborations of the architectural rules set down during antiquity. Most of the styles originating in post- Renaissance Europe can be described as classical architecture. This broad use of

1147-475: The term New Classical architecture is sometimes used. Classical architecture is derived from the architecture of ancient Greece and ancient Rome. With the collapse of the western part of the Roman empire , the architectural traditions of the Roman empire ceased to be practised in large parts of western Europe. In the Byzantine Empire , the ancient ways of building lived on but relatively soon developed into

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1184-578: The term is employed by Sir John Summerson in The Classical Language of Architecture . The elements of classical architecture have been applied in radically different architectural contexts than those for which they were developed, however. For example, Baroque or Rococo architecture are styles which, although classical at root, display an architectural language much in their own right. During these periods, architectural theory still referred to classical ideas but rather less sincerely than during

1221-514: The terminal stop of the Georgetown-Frederick stagecoach line. Of the several taverns that were constructed in Georgetown during the founding era, the City Tavern is the only one that remains today. Many of the country’s founding fathers, including George Washington , Thomas Jefferson and John Adams frequented the City Tavern during this historic time. President Washington was on the Board of

1258-533: The time the Archaic became emergent and established. It was during this period, at different times and places in the Greek world, that the use of dressed and polished stone replaced the wood in these early temples, but the forms and shapes of the old wooden styles were retained in a skeuomorphic fashion, just as if the wooden structures had turned to stone, thus the designation "petrification" or sometimes "petrified carpentry" for this process. This careful preservation of

1295-528: The traditional wooden appearance in the stone fabric of the newer buildings was scrupulously observed and this suggests that it may have been dictated by religion rather than aesthetics, although the exact reasons are now lost in antiquity. Not everyone within the reach of Hellenic civilization made this transition. The Etruscans in Italy were, from their earliest period, greatly influenced by their contact with Greek culture and religion, but they retained their wooden temples (with some exceptions) until their culture

1332-647: Was expressed in early federal projects of lighthouses, harbor buildings, universities, and hospitals. It can be seen in the rationalizing, urbanistic layout of L'Enfant Plan of Washington and in the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 in New York. The historic eastern part of Bleecker Street in New York, between Broadway and the Bowery , is home to Federal-style row houses at 7 to 13 and 21 to 25 Bleecker Street . The classicizing style of Federal architecture can especially be seen in

1369-466: Was influenced heavily by the works of Andrea Palladio with several innovations on Palladian architecture by Thomas Jefferson and his contemporaries. Jefferson's Monticello estate and several federal government buildings, including the White House , are among the most prominent examples of buildings constructed in Federal style. Federal style is also used in association with furniture design in

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