It is a whitewashed plank sided house with four columns guarding the front entrance, a clear example of Greek Revival style. Although from the outside it looks like a modest, one story home, the front facade eludes to the grand nature of the house. The two windows symmetrically flanking the front entry share a common datum line at with the top of the door, making them taller than standard windows, and stretching out the visual height. This height is then repeated inside with the ~11' ceiling in the main parlor.The walls of the house were built heavy-timber framing with brick infill as insulation. The walls were then plastered over inside and sided wood plank sided on the outside.
I think that your analysis of the structure is solid in terms of what it looks like and where it came from.
ReplyDeleteMy response is Why is it here in Milwaukee? What was it that Benjamin Church wanted in this house? How does it fit into American Architecture of the time? How did it fit into built environment in 1844? What is the role of Greek Revival?
Benjamin Church came to Milwaukee with money. The goal of using a Greek Revival style in his home was to show his high-society status. This house would have been more grand than the others around it, being more refined and detailed.
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