REVIVAL

At the root of the word revival is the word for life (-viv-). In any given context, the word revival has to do with bringing something back to life or back to strength. You can revive someone who has fainted, and you can revive a stagnant career. You can revive a language on the brink of extinction, or revive wilting plants with fresh water. To be restored to strong and joyful union with God after a period of distance is often known as “revival.” In the world of art, revival means creating something new in the style of something old, thereby giving “new life” to a dying aesthetic, musical style, or artistic method.

Revival is rich with meaning for me, right now.

We are revivalists in the sense that we are trying to infuse new life and longevity into our aging home. In another sense, we intend to inhabit this space in a way that will be an ongoing means of revival for our souls- a way that connects us with the nourishing Presence of God and helps us seek “constant renewal” through the challenges and graces we encounter in our every day, moment-to-moment home life.

But there’s a new, fun layer of meaning to the word revival on my mind this week… I have discovered that our house has a distinct architectural style, known as Georgian Revival. Isn’t that a great name?!

I may have majored in art history, but I have to admit that when we first bought this house I couldn’t name its architectural style. I was told it might be a “Foursquare” house, but research revealed that it lacked several of the features that define Foursquare architecture. Instead, it had all the markings of a style from that same era known as Georgian Revival (aka neo-Georgian). Remember what I said earlier about revival in the arts being kind of like a style “come-back”? Well, Americans in the 1880s through 1940s went WILD for all the classic architectural styles of the recent and not-so-recent past. Georgian Revival was just one of the come-backs. Folks were also reviving Colonials, Italianates, Tudors, and homes built in the Gothic, Spanish and Empire styles. What a fun period in building history that must have been to witness! Here’s a little gallery of some examples that can help give you a taste of the lovely variety from American Revival Architecture.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Stay tuned over the next few days for more about these revival styles!

American Revival Architecture brought the Georgian style back into popular usage. According to Traditional Home Georgian Revival homes were “usually one- or- two-story rectangular boxes, two rooms deep, with windows arranged in strict symmetry. Paneled entry doors were placed atop a raised step, with a simple wood pediment above. Most Georgian houses in New England were frame, but elsewhere in the United States they were sometimes built of brick and occasionally stone.”  My favorite descriptive for Georgian Revival style is “plain yet dignified.”

Have you ever thought about the style of your home? Over the next few months I’ll be posting some little tidbits about various Revival styles that are common in Greenville. In order to restore our home well, I am planning to do my homework on Georgian Revival architecture. I want to bring new life to our home by reviving its stylistic elements and using them to inspire my decor. I would love to discover who the architect of our home was, and how the architect or the home’s first owner chose the Georgian style. If any readers have a clue for me, please pass it along!

Photos are from:Portlandbathrepair.com, NPR.org.uk, VisitGreenvilleSC, http://www.phmc.state.pa.us, Traditional Home, Pinterest