Carpenter Gothic - History

History

Carpenter Gothic houses and small churches became common in North America in the late nineteenth century. These structures adapted Gothic elements such as pointed arches, steep gables, and towers to traditional American light-frame construction. The invention of the scroll saw and mass-produced wood moldings allowed a few of these structures to mimic the florid fenestration of the High Gothic. But in most cases, Carpenter Gothic buildings were relatively unadorned, retaining only the basic elements of pointed-arch windows and steep gables. Probably the best known example of Carpenter Gothic is the house in Eldon, Iowa, that Grant Wood used for the background of his famous painting American Gothic.

Read more about this topic:  Carpenter Gothic

Famous quotes containing the word history:

    “A man will not need to study history to find out what is best for his own culture.”
    —Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)

    “If you look at history you’ll find that no state has been so plagued by its rulers as when power has fallen into the hands of some dabbler in philosophy or literary addict.”
    —Desiderius Erasmus (c. 1466–1536)

    “Philosophy of science without history of science is empty; history of science without philosophy of science is blind.”
    —Imre Lakatos (1922–1974)