It is also a contributing property to the hudson river historic district, itself a national historic landmark. The italianate and gothic revival styles were made popular by the published pattern books of architect andrew jackson downing in the 1840s and 1850s. A new yorker like downing, alexander jackson davis started as a lithographer and architectural illustrator before he focused his efforts as an architect and designer of buildings. Andrew jackson downing, a leading nurseryman, landscape designer.
Andrew jackson downing the art institute of chicago. A series of pattern books by popular designer andrew jackson downing 18151852 and lyndhurst architect alexander jackson davis captured the imagination of a country already swept up in the romantic movement. American architects alexander jackson davis and andrew jackson. His designs featured gothic and italian villas appropriate for the emerging suburbs. This style first developed as the italianate villa style, which was seen as early as the 1830s and was intended as a suitable design for substantial homes or country estates. The architecture of country houses dover architecture. Employing a low hipped roof with central gable and long veranda, the exterior closely resembles design xxvii, a small country house for the southern states, in downings architecture of. Introduced in america on this architectural style, it is shown in the 1840s via the pattern books of andrew jackson downing. Andrew jackson downing october 31, 1815 july 28, 1852 1 was an american landscape designer, horticulturalist, and writer, a prominent advocate of the gothic revival style in the united states, and editor of the horticulturist magazine 184652. Italianate architecture was made popular through pattern books written by wellknown designers like andrew jackson downing and calvert vaux.
Oct 11, 2015 andrew jackson downing left and a sketch from his cottage residences right. This style first developed as the italianate villa style, which was seen as early as the 1830s and was intended as a. He used curved forms in the balustrades and wings to offset the strong vertical lines. Andrew jackson downing left and a sketch from his cottage residences right. Downing, who was americas first important landscape architect, was instrumental in establishing a wellstyled, efficient, yet lowpriced house that offered many features that previously only. Andrew jackson downing, american horticulturalist, landscape gardener, and architect who was the first great landscape designer in the united states. Apr 23, 2020 before publishing rural residences, his first pattern book for picturesque residences in the gothic revival and italianate styles, he illustrated downing s pattern books. In 1980 they toured antebellum houses in natchez, mississippi, and that was what really inspired us to get serious, pamela says. Andrew jackson downing 181552, the first great american landscape gardener, was one of the earliest and most influential popularizers of something new on the american scene the small, inexpensive detached house. Made popular by andrew jackson downings pattern books of the 1840s, this sprawling style was mostly used in rural areas due to the narrowness of urban lots. The first italianate houses in the united states were constructed in the late 1830s, popularized by the pattern books of andrew jackson downing similar to the gothic revival discussed above. Designs for his property and outbuildings are modeled on drawings taken from the pattern books of andrew jackson downing. His treatise on the theory and practice of landscape gardening, and essays published in his magazine, the horticulturist, on which he collaborated with alexander jackson davis, popularized landscape gardening among americas growing middle and uppermiddle classes.
Adam w sweeting andrew jackson downings reputation as architect, landscape designer, and author spread far beyond his native hudson river valley during the first half of the 19th century. Janets descendants called on downings friend alexander jackson davis to expand and renovate the house into a more classically inspired villa over a period of 20 years. Rural architecture in andrew jackson downing and henry david thoreau. Andrew jackson downing is known as the father of the american architectural pattern book. Lengthy restoration of a gothic revival cottage old. Calvert vaux, and others and none was more successful than cottage residences, one of the most widely used books in. Andrew jackson downing cottage residences 1842, design. Andrew jackson downing and the architecture of popular antebellum literature, 18351855.
The use of pattern books in residential construction dates back to the early 19th century and figures such as andrew jackson downing, a celebrated british landscape architect who published popular. In 1842 downing collaborated with architect alexander jackson a. Into a countryside dotted with log cabins and occasional greek revival mansions, he introduced the tasteful, efficient cottage. Point fermin lighthouse historic site and museum san pedro. The point fermin lighthouse is designed in the stick style. Introduced in america on this architectural style, it is shown in the 1840s via the pattern books of. Following british models, he categorized landscape design styles as the.
This was followed by the architecture of country houses 1850, another influential pattern book. Rural architecture in andrew jackson downing and henry. Through the magazine, downing was able to promote scientific agriculture, a school of farming that olmsted was also interested in. Although not a pattern book, treatise foreshadowed things to come, and also overshadowed a pattern book partially published in 1838 by downings friend, the architect alexander jackson davis, who drew the dwellings in downings treatise but never completed his own pattern book project. After finishing his schooling at 16, he worked in his fathers nursery and. A mapped introduction to san franciscos many varieties of. Andrew jackson downing 181552, the first great ameri. With the accessibility of this and subsequent pattern books marketed to the. Andrew jackson downing has 71 books on goodreads with 174 ratings. They delved into the pattern books of andrew jackson downing, the designer and writer who advanced gothic revival and other cottage styles. In 1842 downing collaborated with alexander jackson davis on the book cottage residences, a highly influential pattern book of. Andrew jackson downing, a prominent landscape designer from new york, was one of its most influential proponents in the united states. Also known as the pink house, aurora is a classic example the italian villa style popularized by the pattern books of architectural theorist andrew jackson downing. The montgomery place campus, near barrytown, new york, united states, is an early 19thcentury estate that has been designated a national historic landmark.
Nov 17, 2017 made popular by andrew jackson downings pattern books of the 1840s, this sprawling style was mostly used in rural areas due to the narrowness of urban lots. One of the principal theoreticians of the movement was andrew jackson downing, proprietor of a landscape nursery in the hudson river valley, landscape designer, amateur architect, the author of two immensely popular architectural pattern books, as well as works on floriculture and pomology, and, in sweetings words, the undisputed master. Throughout the early victorian period, american domestic architecture was dominated by the ideas and designs of andrew jackson downing 1815. How to use victorianstyle trim home guides sf gate. An influential design from the american architects pattern book. Cottage residences, or, a series of designs for rural cottages and. Andrew jackson downings most popular book is the architecture of country houses. Andrew jackson downing cottage residences 1842, design vi. Andrew jackson downing the cultural landscape foundation. Although not a pattern book, treatise foreshadowed things to come, and also overshadowed a pattern book partially published in 1838 by downing s friend, the architect alexander jackson davis, who drew the dwellings in downing s treatise but never completed his own pattern book project. But when smiling lawns and tasteful cottages begin to embellish a country, we know that order and culture are established. Books by andrew jackson downing author of the architecture. The text examines the roots of the style, from medieval europe and gothic cathedrals through inigo jones, augustus pugin, and the gothic revival. Downing was 27 when he published cottage residences in.
Downing 18151852 was an american landscape designer, horticulturist and writer who became influential in american architectural design despite not being an architect himself. Andrew jackson downing 18151852, the first great american landscape gardener, was one of the earliest and most influential popularizers of something new on the american scene the small, inexpensive detached house. Andrew jackson downing october 31, 1815 july 28, 1852 was an american landscape. Andrew jackson downing, publisher of pattern books in the 1860s and 1870s, promoted the stick style for its truthfulness in wooden construction. It is a federalstyle house, with expansion designed by architect alexander jackson davis. Appears in 12 books from 18591999 page 36 when we employ stone as a building material, let it be clearly expressed. His pattern books sold widely and were used for many houses all over the growing nation. Andrew jackson downing october 31, 1815 july 28, 1852 was an american landscape designer, horticulturist, and writer, a prominent advocate of the gothic revival in the united states, and editor of the horticulturist magazine 184652.
The gothic revival and italianate style were promoted via influential pattern books such as architect andrew jackson downings cottage residences, published in 1842. The romantic designs presented in the publication and others were reproduced in exact and derivative form throughout the country. In 1837, davis published his only pattern book, rural residences. These cottages were simple dwellings void of the exotic trappings that downing feared were not good. Synonyms for andrew jackson downing in free thesaurus. Andrew jackson downing synonyms, andrew jackson downing. He began his career as a landscaper and soon founded the magazine, the horticulturist. Through the british publications, downing saw both.
Downing was a designer, horticulturist, and author. Andrew jackson downing was an american landscape designer, horticulturalist, and writer, a prominent advocate of the gothic revival in the united states, and editor of the horticulturist magazine 184652. Victorian cottage residences by andrew jackson downing. The 5 most influential architects in american history. His first book, a treatise on the theory and practice of landscape gardening. As an architect, davis recorded his most productive period from 1840 through 1860, when he designed a number of country houses in the gothic revival cottage style. Andrew jackson downing history of early american landscape. By the 1860s however, the italianate style surpassed the slightly earlier gothic revival in popularity. Timberframed houses across north america, especially in rural areas, began to sport gothic details. Pattern books containing the above books architectural styles. Lighthouse architecture point fermin lighthouse historic. In 1842 downing collaborated with alexander jackson davis on the book cottage downing. To see more cottage house plans try our advanced floor plan search.
Columbia university libraries online exhibitions a. He was commissioned to lay out the grounds for the capitol, the white house, and the smithsonian institution in washington, d. For andrew jackson, the threat had become too close for comfort when, in the spring of 1812, just a hundred miles from his home, a marauding band of creeks killed six settlers and took a woman hostage. Celebrating andrew jackson downings bicentennial in. Jackson was certain the british were behind the attack on the little settlement at the mouth of the duck river. It would be difficult to overstate the impact of andrew jackson downing. The growing popularity of pattern books in the 1840s created a consistent architectural template that spread across the country, primarily to the east coast and western states.
Before publishing rural residences, his first pattern book for picturesque residences in the gothic revival and italianate styles, he illustrated downing s pattern books. Influenced by andrew jackson downings pattern books, carpenter gothicstyle homes multiplied in victorianera america, displaying simplified versions of high victorian style. For the first time in america, a complete illustration of a house with key details was. Residential pattern book history of the pattern book. Gothic revival french italian villa norman bracketed elizabethan. Not an architect, nor a trained artist, downing was an avid reader of british horticulture publications, some of which illustrated ideal houses for the country. Downing 1815 1852 was one of the most important precivil war designers and writers in america.
Originally popularized by home pattern books like cottage residences by andrew jackson downing of 1842, cottage style house plans are filled with individuality and based on the belief that a beautiful house fully reflects a fine character. The career of andrew jackson downing, 18151852, a collection of nine papers from the eleventh dumbarton oaks colloquium on the history of landscape architecture 1987 dealing with pomology, interior decoration, pattern books, park planning, architec. His books also marked the first generation of the pattern book intended to. Davis on cottage residences, a pattern book of houses for prospective homebuilders that mixed aspects of romantic architecture with the pastoral picturesque architecture of the english countryside. There is more merit in so using wood as to give to it the utmost expression of which the substance is capable, than in endeavoring to make it look. Andrew jackson downing, american horticulturalist, landscape gardener, and.
Andrew jackson downing 18151852 anyone who has grown up in a suburban house, visited a culdesac lined with ranch houses, or driven through levittown has been touched by a. His architectural pattern books were popular resources from which the wealthy and folks further down the economic ladder took the designs for their residences. The use of contrasting period colors on the porch steps, porch floor, and posts provide historically correct visual interest. Downing is considered to be a founder of american landscape architecture. Downing began publishing books that introduced various upandcoming nineteenthcentury romantic styles and building designs. In 1842 downing collaborated with alexander jackson davis on the book cottage residences, which was a pattern book of houses that mixed the aspects of romantic architecture with the pastoral picturesque architecture of the english country side. The use of pattern books in residential construction dates back to the early 19th century and figures such as andrew jackson downing, a celebrated. Andrew jackson downing, 18151852 creating the north. The leduc residence was the first historic site acquired by the minnesota historical society. Andrew jackson downing, born october 30, 1815, newburgh, new york, u. Page v so long as men are forced to dwell in log huts and follow a hunters life, we must not be surprised at lynch law and the use of the bowie knife. Mid19th century period 1830 1860 phmc pennsylvania.
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